Butter Chicken

Serves 8-10
Ingredients

• 1kg chicken thigh, cut into cubes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2cm piece ginger, minced
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• 20ml lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 60g blanched almond meal
• 180g natural yoghurt
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tin crushed tomatoes
• 1 tblspn tomato paste
• coriander leaves, to garnish
• 80ml cream
• salt, to taste
• oil or ghee
  
  

Method

Mix together the yoghurt, lemon juice, garam masala and chicken & marinate for several hours or overnight. Heat a little oil or ghee in a pan & add onion, garlic, ginger and fry until tender. Add chilli powder, fresh chilli & cook for a few minutes, add the cumin, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, ground coriander, turmeric & season well with salt. Add the chicken & cook for a few minutes. Add the crushed tomato, tomato paste & almond meal & cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes until tender. Stir in the cream & serve with rice, fresh coriander, fresh chilli and spinach raita.