- This is quite an fragrant dish -- you'll be enjoying the aroma for some time...
- 2-2.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 4 tablespoons unsalted cultured butter cut into 4 pieces and chilled, divided
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kasoori methi (or fenugreek leaves)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1½ cups water + * ½ cup tomato paste or 14oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Combine marinade/chicken in large zip-top bag, let sit in fridge overnight. Probably good idea to place sealed bag inside a large bowl just in case.
- Melt two T butter in large saucepan or Duch oven - medium-high heat (Dutch oven may be better, especially if using immersion blender later)
- Add onion, garlic, ginger, and chile, stirring frequently, until mixture softens and onion begins to brown (8-10 minutes)
- Add garam masala, coriander, cumin, black pepper and chili powder and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add water/tomato and whisk until no lumps of tomato remain. Add sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil.
- Remove from heat, stir in cream.
- Using immersion blender or blender, process until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds.
- Return sauce to simmer over medium heat and whisk in remaining butter one T at a time. Stir in fenugreek.
- Remove saucepan from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Adjust top rack of oven to 6" from broiler element, heat broiler
- Transfer chicken to wire rack set in a foil—lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Broil until chicken is evenly charred on both sides and registers 175 degrees, 16 to 20 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through broiling.
- Let chicken rest about 5 minutes, warm the sauce on medium-high heat.
- Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, stir into sauce (season with salt as needed)
Serve on rice with naan
Using 14oz crushed tomatoes (rather than the water and paste):
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces before adding to marinade
- Pan-fry pieces in 2T olive oil in batches (saving juices) on medium-high heat before building sauce in same pan. Keep any brown bits that form, scraping bottom of pan & building the sauce including these
- When it comes time, add chicken/juices to sauce