Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Indian Butter Chicken
印度牛油雞
Recipe overview
Indian Butter Chicken uses individually measured ingredients and a practical Hong Kong home-kitchen sequence to preserve the dish's characteristic texture and sauce.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 700 g boneless chicken thigh
- 300 g tomato purée
- 150 ml pouring cream
- 50 g unsalted butter (30 g for frying aromatics and 20 g to finish sauce)
- 200 g onion
- 15 g minced ginger
- 15 g minced garlic
- 150 ml water
Chicken marinade
- 120 g plain yoghurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp salt (for marinade)
Curry seasoning
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp garam masala (for sauce)
- 1/2 tsp salt (for sauce)
Cooking oil
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
02
Tools
- household hob
- cutting board and chef's knife
- covered marinating bowl and measuring spoons
- refrigerator
- frying pan and spatula
- heavy deep pot and wooden spoon
- food thermometer and wooden spoon
- white serving dish and wooden spoon
03
Steps
Step 1
Cut chicken and onion
First cut 700 g boneless chicken thigh into even pieces on the cutting board and transfer it to the covered marinating bowl; wash the board, knife and hands thoroughly, then finely dice 200 g onion, about 8 minutes total.
Step 2
Mix plain yoghurt
Mix 120 g plain yoghurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp garam masala and 1/2 tsp salt in the covered marinating bowl with measuring spoons for about 2 minutes until even.
Step 3
Marinate boneless chicken thigh
Coat all 700 g boneless chicken thigh evenly with the complete yoghurt marinade, cover and refrigerate at 4°C or below for 30 minutes. Do not marinate at room temperature; the chicken must still feel chilled when removed.
Step 4
Sear boneless chicken thigh
Sear 700 g boneless chicken thigh, 1 tbsp vegetable oil with frying pan and spatula over medium-high heat for 6 minutes until golden and set.
Step 5
Fry onion
Fry 200 g onion, 15 g minced ginger, 15 g minced garlic, 30 g unsalted butter with heavy deep pot and wooden spoon over medium heat for 6 minutes until fragrant without scorching.
Step 6
Add ground cumin
Add 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp chilli powder with heavy deep pot and wooden spoon over medium-low heat for 1 minute until fragrant without scorching.
Step 7
Reduce tomato purée
Reduce 300 g tomato purée, 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp salt with heavy deep pot and wooden spoon over medium heat for 8 minutes until the sauce coats the back of the spoon.
Step 8
Simmer boneless chicken thigh
Simmer 700 g boneless chicken thigh, 150 ml water with heavy deep pot and wooden spoon over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until tender without breaking apart.
Step 9
Add pouring cream
Add 150 ml pouring cream, 20 g unsalted butter with heavy deep pot and wooden spoon over low heat for 5 minutes until smooth and evenly combined.
Step 10
Check boneless chicken thigh
Check 700 g boneless chicken thigh with food thermometer and wooden spoon for 1 minute until the thickest chicken reaches 75°C with clear juices.
Step 11
Reduce tomato purée
Reduce 300 g tomato purée, 150 ml pouring cream with heavy deep pot and wooden spoon over low heat for 2 minutes until the sauce coats the back of the spoon.
Step 12
Rest boneless chicken thigh
Rest 700 g boneless chicken thigh, 300 g tomato purée, 150 ml pouring cream with white serving dish and wooden spoon for 3 minutes until the heat has settled and the food is safe to handle.
Common mistakes
- Failing to dry boneless chicken thigh lowers the pan temperature and dilutes flavour.
- Changing the measured amount of plain yoghurt unbalances the dish.
- Excessive heat overcooks the outside of boneless chicken thigh before the centre reaches the required state.
- Serving without the final doneness check can leave boneless chicken thigh undercooked or overcooked.
Tips
Measure and arrange every ingredient in step order. Clean the board and knife after handling boneless chicken thigh, then judge completion by time, appearance and centre doneness.
