Butter Chicken

Ingredients: yields 8 servings

2lbs chicken thighs, cut into bite sized cubes

1 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp garam masala, divided

1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) butter, divided

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp grated ginger

~ 2 1/2 lbs tomatoes, cored

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

3 bay leaves

1 cup coconut milk, more if desired

In a medium size bowl, combine chicken, yogurt, and 1 Tbsp of garam masala and let marinate for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.

In a heavy pot (we prefer our enameled dutch oven), melt 2 Tbsp of butter over medium heat and cook marinated chicken for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it cooks evenly. This won’t cook the chicken completely, it will finish cooking later. Remove chicken from pot.

Using the same pot, melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter and add onion and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, cook for a couple minutes until fragrant. Add tomatoes, turmeric, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 Tbsp garam masala. Stir to combine. Lower heat to medium low, cover, and cook down for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After the 20 minutes, gently mash tomatoes and add bay leaves. Simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Following the 30 minutes, blend mixture using an immersion blender. Strain through a fine mesh strainer for a smooth sauce (you can skip this step if you don’t mind the seeds and skins of the tomatoes). Return mixture to the pot, bringing it back to a gentle simmer. Stir in coconut milk and chicken. Allow to simmer for another 20 minutes uncovered to finish cooking chicken.

Serve with coconut rice and naan bread. Enjoy!