Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine yogurt, lemon juice, Kashmiri chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results.

2. 2

   Remove chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a large oven-safe skillet or grill pan over high heat until smoking. Working in batches to avoid crowding, sear the marinated chicken pieces for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply charred at the edges and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Do not clean the pan.

3. 3

   Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tbsp butter to the same pan and melt. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes until soft and golden brown. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

4. 4

   Add the cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves to the onion mixture and stir for 30 seconds until the spices bloom. Pour in the crushed canned tomatoes along with the sugar and 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes have completely broken down.

5. 5

   Remove the pan from heat and let the sauce cool slightly for 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce directly in the pan until completely smooth. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a countertop blender, blend until smooth, and return to the pan. Pass the blended sauce through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing with a spatula, for an ultra-silky texture. Return strained sauce to the pan over medium-low heat.