8chicken thighs, skin on/bone-in (or chicken cut of your choice)
For the Butter Chicken Sauce:
3 1/2Tablespoonsbutter
All of the Spice Mix from above
1smallonion, very finely chopped
2clovesgarlic, finely chopped
3/4teaspoonsfresh ginger, finely grated or 1 tsp ginger paste
1TablespoonTandoori Curry Paste, or 1-2 tsp Tandoori Masala dried spice
2Tablespoontomato paste
1Tablespoonbrown sugar
2cupschicken broth
1 2/3cupscanned crushed tomatoes, or passata
1/2cupcoconut cream, or coconut milk, stirred or heavy whipping cream
1Tablespoondried fenugreek leaves, optional
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Yogurt Garnish:
1cupGreek yogurt
Zest of 1/2 lime
2Tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lime juice
1clovegarlic, minced
1Tablespooncilantro, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Garnishes:
1/2English cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
1jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Lime wedges or slices
Naan Bread, warmed
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
In a 10 to 11-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs, skin side down and allow to cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for about 3 minutes more. Remove chicken to a plate.
Remove and discard all the fat in the pan from the chicken thighs. Reduce the heat under the pan to medium-low. Add the butter to the pan and melt. Add the Spice Mix, onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the Tandoori curry paste and tomato paste to the skillet and cook, stirring, another 1 minute. Add the brown sugar, chicken broth and crushed tomatoes to the skillet and stir to combine. Return the chicken thighs to the pan (ideally, the top of the chicken thighs should not be covered by sauce). Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour or until sauce has reduced by half. *boneless chicken will require less cooking time.
Gently stir in coconut cream or milk and fenugreek leaves, if using (If helpful, you can remove a couple of the chicken thighs from the skillet temporarily to have more room to stir). Taste sauce and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed.
For yogurt sauce, if using: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate if making ahead.
Serve topped with sliced cucumber, chopped cilantro and jalapeno and garnish with lime slices or wedges. Add a dollop of yogurt sauce, if using and serve with warm Naan bread.