Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Steps

1. 1Stir the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of the garam masala, the cumin, and turmeric together in a bowl. Add the chicken, toss to coat, and marinate at least 20 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).
2. 2Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, sear the chicken until browned at the edges, about 3 minutes per side — it does not need to cook through yet. Set aside.
3. 3Lower the heat to medium and melt the remaining butter. Cook the onion until soft and golden, 5 to 6 minutes, then stir in the garlic and ginger for 1 minute more.
4. 4Add the crushed tomatoes, chili powder, remaining teaspoon of garam masala, and a big pinch of salt. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until slightly thickened and darker in color.
5. 5For the classic silky texture, blend the sauce smooth with an immersion blender (or carefully in a countertop blender), then return it to the pan.
6. 6Stir in the cream, return the chicken and its juices, and simmer gently 8 to 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce coats a spoon.
7. 7Taste for salt, scatter with cilantro, and serve over basmati rice with naan for mopping up the sauce.