The ultimate (and speedy) butter chicken recipe

This dish is as full of flavour as it is easy to cook, says Prudence Wade

Marinating your chicken overnight helps make the meat more succulent and the flavours to develop (Dan Jones/PA)

Butter chicken is often considered to be one of those dishes that takes ages to prepare and to cook, but this version will give you flavourful results in almost half the time with half the effort,” says Sanjay Aggarwal, author of Spice Kitchen.

“Just allow your chicken to marinate overnight so that the meat is more succulent and the flavours can develop.”

Ultimate (and speedy) butter chicken

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

500g boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks

2 tbsp vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil

2 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp Tarka (see below)

1 onion, sliced

2 tsp ginger-garlic paste (see below)

1 tbsp garam masala (see below)

400g can plum tomatoes

½ tsp harissa (see below)

1 tsp salt

50ml double cream

1 tsp sugar

For the marinade:

100g Greek-style yoghurt

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tbsp garam masala

½ tsp harissa

1 tsp salt

To serve:

Naan

300g rice

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, optional

For the tarka:

50g black mustard seeds

50g cumin seeds

For the garam masala:

35g cumin

28g coriander

11g black peppercorns

6g ginger powder

3g cloves

8g cinnamon

4g star anise

2g nutmeg, grated

2g cardamom

For the harissa:

21g paprika

3g coriander

3g caraway

3g cumin

27g chilli powder

27g chilli flakes (red pepper flakes)

5g garlic granules

10g salt

For the time-saving ginger-garlic paste:

125g fresh ginger

125g garlic cloves

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil

Method:

1. For the tarka: This blend uses whole spices; simply mix the seeds together and store in a jar for when you need them.

2. For the garam masala: Put any whole spices into a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar. Grind. Then add in any powdered ingredients and mix by hand to combine. Label and store in a clean jar in a cool, dark place for up to six months.

3. For the harissa: Put any whole spices into your coffee grinder or pestle and mortar. Grind to your desired consistency. Then add in any powdered ingredients and your chilli flakes, garlic granules and salt. Mix by hand to combine. Label and store in a clean jar in a cool, dark place for up to six months.

4. For the time-saving ginger-garlic: Peel and roughly chop your ginger and garlic and add to your blender with the salt and oil. Blend until you have a smooth paste. Either scoop into a clean jar or bottle and store in the fridge or freeze in ice-cube trays and pop out a cube when you need to cook.

5. For the butter chicken: First make the marinade by combining all the ingredients in a large, non-metallic bowl. Add the chicken and give everything a good stir to combine. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight if you can, or for at least two hours to permeate the meat.

6. When you are ready to cook, heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken pieces with the marinade, and fry until browned, turning just once and resisting the urge to move them around the pan. They will need about three minutes on each side (you will finish cooking the chicken later in the sauce). Set aside.

7. Give the pan a quick wipe and put it back over the heat. Add the ghee and, when hot, add the tarka and allow the seeds to sizzle and pop for around 30 seconds, being careful not to burn. Next, add in your onion slices and stir to coat them in the spice-infused ghee. Cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Once the onions have started to sweat and become translucent, add in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for about a minute. When the raw smell has disappeared, add in the garam masala. Cook for a further 10 seconds, stirring to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and burns.

8. Next, add the tomatoes, harissa and salt. Cook over a low-medium heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool a little, then, using a stick blender directly into the pan, carefully blend your sauce until it is completely smooth. If you’re finding the sauce is splattering around too much, transfer it into a deeper pan for this step. You can also stir in a little water if the mixture is too thick.

9. Add the cream, sugar and chicken to the pan and give everything a good stir. Simmer for a further 10 minutes to ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with fresh naan bread, rice and chopped coriander scattered over the top.

Recipe from ‘Spice Kitchen’ by Sanjay Aggarwal (Quadrille, £22).