Rozmeen's Kitchen

By Rozmeen Bhai

Few dishes bring a family to the table faster than butter chicken. Rozmeen Bhai's version is rich but balanced, with a sauce that tastes of patience.

The marinade

Boneless chicken thighs are marinated in thick yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli, garam masala, lemon juice and salt for at least four hours, ideally overnight. The chicken is then grilled or seared until lightly charred.

The sauce

Butter and a little oil warm whole spices such as green cardamom and a cinnamon stick. Ripe tomatoes, or good canned tomatoes, cook down slowly with ginger, garlic and Kashmiri chilli until the oil separates. A handful of soaked cashews blended into the sauce gives body.

The finish

The sauce is strained for silkiness, returned to the pan with butter, a pinch of sugar and crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), then finished with cream. The grilled chicken simmers in it for ten minutes.

Serving

Serve with hot naan or jeera rice, and a simple onion salad with lemon. The secret, Rozmeen says, is not to hurry the tomatoes.