Butter Chicken

This is another Rick Stein dish and a favorite in my house.

Ingredients

4 large chicken breasts, skinned, each cut into 2 or 3 pieces at an angle For the first marinade Juice of 2 limes 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp salt For the second marinade 50g natural yogurt 50g double cream 20g/4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 25g/5cm ginger, roughly chopped 1 tsp Garam masala (page 303) 1 tsp turmeric 3/4 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp beetroot powder (for colour; optional)

For the sauce 50g ghee 25g/5 cloves garlic, finely crushed 25g/5cm ginger, finely grated 400g tomato passata 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder. 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp Garam masala (page 1 tsp desiccated coconut 11/2 tsp salt 200m1 water 25g cashew nuts 25g pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp boiling water 1 tbsp dried fenugreekl 1/2 tsp caster sugar 45m1 double cream To finish Pinch of Chat masala (page 303) Handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped 15g/3cm ginger, finely

Method:

For the first marinade mix the chilli lime and salt together in a  large bowl. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, then cover and transfer to the fridge to marinate for 1 hour.

For the second marinade, put all the ingredients apart from the chat masala into a mini food processor. Blend until smooth, then add this to the marinated chicken and stir well to coat. Cover and transfer to the fridge to marinate for 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas 9 (or 220°C if your oven doesn't go that high). Thread the chicken on to lightly oiled metal skewers (you can put more than one piece per skewer, but leave space between them) then suspend the skewers above a roasting tin. Alternatively place them on a wire rack over a roasting tin. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly charred in places but not completely cooked through, as you'll finish cooking them in the sauce.

For the sauce, while the chicken is cooking, heat the ghee in heavy-based saucepan or karahi over a medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a minute, then stir in the tomato passata and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add all the spices, coconut, salt and 100m1 of the water and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

In a mini food processor, or using a pestle and mortar, blend the cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds and boiling water into a paste. Stir this into the sauce followed by the chicken pieces and another 100m1 water.

Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through, then stir in the fenugreek leaves, sugar and cream and cook for a further 2 minutes. Sprinkle with chat masala, garnish with fresh coriander and ginger, and serve.