Butter Chicken & Lentils
This recipe goes on Mac’s Mount Rushmore of comfort foods. Here we add red lentils to the sauce for a little extra body and nutritional value. Marinating the chicken overnight is ideal, but an hour is just fine. The one part you can’t rush is caramelizing the onions - it’s crucial for a deeply flavorful sauce.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
For the chicken
3 pounds chicken thighs, boneless / skinless, each cut into 2-3 pieces
1 cup greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder (see note)
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons salt
For the sauce
2 onions, sliced
¼ cup ghee or neutral oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 pound tomatoes, chopped
⅓ cup red lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves
6 ounces heavy cream
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) butter
To serve
Basmati rice
Cilantro
METHOD
Marinate the chicken. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix very well. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and marinate for at least one hour, ideally overnight.
Caramelize the onions. Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the ghee and onions and cook until deeply caramelized, about 20 minutes. Stir frequently during this process and reduce the heat to medium if the onions begin to burn. Add a tablespoon of water to loosen things up if the onions begin to stick.
Add the aromatics. Add the garlic, ginger, and tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. You might need to add a little more ghee at this point to keep things from sticking. Stir frequently, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add a splash of water if the mixture begins to stick or burn. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and lentils. Add the tomatoes and cook until they’ve completely broken down, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils, fenugreek leaves, and 2 cups of water. Simmer until the lentils are completely cooked.
Blend the sauce. Be very careful when blending hot liquids! Never fill the blender more than a third full. Don’t cover it completely - leave it ajar so steam can escape. Blend the sauce in batches and return to the pot. It’s good practice to rinse the pot so you don’t get any straggling bits in your completely smooth sauce. (This is also a great application for an immersion blender.)
Add the chicken. Add the chicken to the sauce, along with enough water so that the chicken is barely submerged. Simmer very gently until it’s cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Finish the sauce. Add the cream and butter. Stir until the butter is melted. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
Serve. Serve in bowls with basmati rice and chopped cilantro.
Note: Kashmiri chili is a hot and fruity Indian chili. If you are unable to find it, substitute sweet paprika for color and chili flakes for heat.
FURTHER READING
