Butter Less – Butter Chicken

Ingredients

• For the chicken
• 500 gms Chicken Thighs (Skinless Boneless – Cut into bite size pieces and marinated in the spices mentioned below.)
• (Do not use breast pieces. However you can use curry cut pieces on the bone as well. Just follow the tips section on how to cook it a beat differently.)
• 1 Tbsp Ginger Paste
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Paste
• 1 Tbsp Besan or Chickpea Flour
• 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1 Tbsp Cumin Powder
• 1 Tsp Chilli Powder
• 1 Tsp Paprika or Kashmiri Chilli Powder for the Colour
• 1 Tsp Punjabi Garam Masala
• 1 Tsp Turmuric Powder
• to taste Salt
• For the Gravy
• 6 Medium Tomatoes
• 2 Medium Onions
• 6 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
• 20 Almonds
• 4 Cloves
• 1 Big Elaichi
• 4 Small Elaichi
• 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
• 1 tbsp Brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
• 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
• to taste Salt

Steps

1. After thoroughly washing the chicken, marinate the same in the list of powders mentioned about – coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli, paprika, garam masala, besan and ginger and garlic paste along with salt and leave aside.
2. In a pressure pan, add in the roughly chopped tomatoes, onions, poppy seeds, whole spices namely cloves, cinnamon, cardamom big and small, bay leaf, garlic cloves and almonds and pressure cook for about 10 minutes -15 minutes for 2-3 whistles depending on your cooker. What w
3. Remove from the pan, remove all the whole spices from the mixture and blend it into a smooth paste. Transfer back to the pan without adding any ghee or oil and let it cook with the lid on for about 10 minutes. (Only lid on here, do not use the pressure.)
4. Meanwhile in another nonstick pan, saute the marinated chicken without any oil/ghee until the chicken kind of seals from the outside but is still raw inside. At this point the chicken will give out some water.
5. Add back the chicken pieces along with the water to the tomato paste.
6. Now add in the ketchup/ sugar and salt if required. Let the chicken cook in the gravy for about 15 minutes adding a beat of milk + water if the gravy is too thick. Check for cooking on the chicken pieces.
7. Once the chicken is cooked, add in the garam masala and sprinkle with crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and mix well.
8. Serve with a sprinkle of coriander leaves and enjoy with hot Chapatis or Rotis or even Naan if you wish to indulge.