This week is curry week so I am sharing my favourite butter chicken recipe. This so fragrant and delicious, you will be making it again and again.

Ingredients

• 8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs. (Substitute with 3 blocks of tofu for a vegan version)
• 130mls lactose free double cream e.g. Emlea plant

Marinade:

• 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (check ingredients – some brands contain onion/garlic)
• 1 tablespoon garlic infused oil
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 75g plain/greek lactose free yoghurt

Tomato curry base:

• 2 tablespoons garlic infused oil
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 2 cans of plum tomatoes blended into a fine puree or passata
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 2 black cardamom
• large piece of cinnamon bark or cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

Method

1. Start off by marinating the chicken. Cut the chicken into bite sized chunks.
2. Blend all the marinade ingredients together into a paste. Add to the chicken and cover well.
3. Let the chicken to marinate overnight, to allow the flavours to develop.

To prepare the tomato base:

1. Place a large pot on medium to high heat. Add the garlic infused oil. Add the bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon. Cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the ginger paste and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, salt and chilli powder.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes to thicken the sauce.
5. Once reduced, add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for a further 15 minutes.

Cooking the chicken and assembling the dish:

1. If you want to make this really special and have access to a barbecue, skewer the chicken and cook over the barbecue. Otherwise cook this in the oven on the grill setting. Preheat the oven to 220C. Place the chicken into a lined baking tray and grill for approximately 10 minutes.
2. Add the chicken to the tomato base sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Finally, add the double cream. You can garnish with coriander.

I served mine with lemon rice. You can find the recipe for the lemon rice here.

Enjoy!