This is Dishoom’s Chicken Ruby and it’s by far the best recipe for butter chicken that we’ve made. There’s definitely quite a bit to do but you can marinate the chicken and make the sauce in advance, so the last bit is very easy. Serve with rice.
Butter chicken – serves 4
- 700g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 20g unsalted butter, melted
- 50ml double cream
FOR THE MARINADE:
- 10g fresh ginger, chopped
- 20g garlic, chopped
- 5g fine sea salt
- 1 tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 2 tsp veg oil
- 75g full-fat Greek yoghurt
FOR THE MAKHANI SAUCE:
- 35g garlic
- 175ml vegetable oil
- 20g fresh ginger
- 2 x tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1½ tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
- 30g butter
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 20g granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, crumbled
- ½ tsp dill fronds
- 80ml double cream
TO GARNISH:
- coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
You need to marinate the chicken for 6-24 hours. To make the marinade, whizz the ingredients together in a blender to a smooth paste, then transfer to a bowl.
Cut the chicken into 4cm pieces, add to the marinade and stir to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge.
Next make the makhani sauce.
Finely chop 15g of the garlic. Warm a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the chopped garlic and fry until light golden brown and slightly crispy, about 7-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Finely grate the rest of the garlic and the ginger.
Blitz the tomatoes in a blender until smooth.
Put the saucepan with the garlicky oil back over a medium-high heat and add the bay leaves, all of the cardamom pods and the cinnamon sticks. Let them crackle for a minute, stirring.
Turn down the heat and add the garlic and ginger paste. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing it to brown, but not burn.
Add the tomatoes, salt and chilli powder and bring to a fast simmer, then cook until reduced by half, stirring regularly – about 30 minutes.
Add the butter and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add the garam masala, sugar, honey, cumin, crispy garlic, dried fenugreek and fresh dill and cook for another 15 minutes.
If you are using the sauce straight away, add the cream and simmer gently for 5 minutes. If not, allow to cool and chill in the fridge until needed. Add the cream when you reheat the sauce.
To assemble / finish:
When you’re ready for the curry, heat the grill to medium-high. Place the marinated chicken on a rack in the grill pan, then brush with the melted butter and grill for 8-10 minutes or until cooked and nicely charred.
Warm a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the makhani sauce, cream and grilled chicken and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Serve the curry garnished with the chopped coriander and pomegranate seeds with steamed rice on the side.
(Original recipe from Dishoom by Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar & Naved Nasir, Bloomsbury, 2019.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 