Butter Chicken

The famous Punjabi chicken curry!!!

Ingredients

Chicken: 1/2 kg
Oil/Butter: 2 - 3 Table Spoon
For marination
Lime juice: 1 Table Spoon
Ginger Paste: 1 Tea Spoon
Garlic Paste: 1 Tea Spoon
Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 2 Tea Spoon
Thick Yogurt: 1/2 Cup
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Salt
For Gravy
Butter: 2 - 3 Table Spoon
Onion: 1 large (Optional)
Tomato: 2 large
Clove:2
Bay Leaf:1
Cardamom: 2
Cinnamon Stick: 1 inch piece
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 Tea Spoon
Chilly Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Kasoori Methi: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Sugar: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Cashew nut /Almond Paste: 1 Table Spoon
Fresh Cream: 1/4 Cup
Hot Water: 2 Cups
Salt

Preparation Time: 5 Hours
Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Method

Wash and clean the chicken and cut to small pieces
Put the chicken to a bowl and add all the ingredients mentioned under for marination
Combine well and cover and keep in fridge for 4 to 5 hours (Do not freeze)

Pour oil/butter to a pan and place the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer and fry the chicken pieces until it turn slightly brown in color

Now to make gravy
Put the onion in boiling water for a minute and then remove from water.  Let it cool and then grind it to a fine paste or chop it finely and keep it aside (Optional)
Put the tomato in boiling water for a minute or two and then remove from water. Let it cool and remove the skin and then grind it to a fine paste and keep aside
Add butter to a kadai and once it heats up add clove, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cardamom and fry for a few seconds

Now add pureed/finely chopped onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame (Optional)

Then add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes
Now add chilly powder and garam masala powder and saute for another minute

Now add the pureed tomatoes

Cook till oil starts to separate

Now add hot water and let it boil

Once it boils well reduce the flame and  add the fried chicken pieces, cashew paste, sugar and salt (if required)

Cook on low flame for 10 to 12 minutes.
Check for the consistency of gravy.  If you feel the gravy is too thick add little more hot water
Finally add fresh cream and crushed kasoori methi and keep on flame for a few more seconds

Give a good stir and switch off the flame (Do not boil after adding cream)
Serve hot with roti, naan, parantha or pulav

Note:
If you have a grill or tandoor you can grill the chicken and make the curry
I have used chicken with bones, but if you wish to you can use boneless chicken
Adding onion to the gravy is optional.  You can completely avoid it and follow the rest of the recipe