Strabanzer Photography

This is my take on a recipe from The New York Times.

NYT Butter Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 ½ tablespoons ground turmeric

1 tablespoon garam masala

2 tablespoons ground cumin

3 pounds skinless chicken thighs, on the bone.    (Generally skip the skin in curries!)

¼ pound unsalted butter

4 teaspoons neutral oil, like vegetable or canola oil

2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely diced

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

2 medium-size tomatoes, diced 2 red chiles, like Anaheim, or 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

Kosher salt to taste

⅔ cup chicken stock, low-sodium or homemade

1 ½ cups cream

1 ½ teaspoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons ground almonds, or finely chopped almonds

½ bunch cilantro leaves, stems removed.

Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala and cumin in a large bowl.

Put the chicken in, and coat with the marinade.

Cover, and refrigerate (for up to a day).

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter in the oil until it starts to foam.

Add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent.

Add the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds, and cook until the onions start to brown.

Add the tomatoes, chiles and salt, and cook until the chiles are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and marinade to the pan, and cook for 5-10 minutes until quite deep brown.   Stir fairly frequently to prevent catching.

Add the chicken stock.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for approximately 30 minutes.

Stir in the cream and tomato paste, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the almonds, cook for an additional 5 minutes and remove from the heat.

Garnish with the cilantro leaves and serve