Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Silky, tomato-based curry with tender chicken and a luxurious cream finish—this is the Indian weekend feast that tastes like you've been cooking for hours but comes together beautifully in under an hour.

Ingredients:

• 800g chicken breast, cubed
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder
• 400ml tinned tomatoes
• 200ml double cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander to serve

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large pan and fry chicken until golden on all sides. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, soften onion over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Stir in garam masala, cumin, and chilli powder, cooking for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
4. Add tinned tomatoes, breaking them up gently. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Return chicken to the pan, add honey, and simmer for 15 minutes until cooked through.
6. Stir in butter and cream off the heat. Season with salt. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with basmati rice or naan.

Chef's tip: Don't skip blooming the spices in the oil—it releases all their aromatic oils and transforms the entire dish from good to genuinely restaurant-worthy.