Daryaganj Butter Chicken

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade:

• 28 oz boneless and skinless chicken thigh or breast cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 1 ½ tablespoons garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger minced
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• Salt to taste

For the sauce:

• 4 tablespoons ghee or butter
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 ½ tablespoons garlic peeled
• 1 tablespoon ginger peeled and chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
• 14 oz fresh tomatoes diced
• 1/3 cup cashews 
• 1 teaspoon green cardamom
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine chicken with all the ingredients for the marinade; marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).
2. Cook chicken in a tandoor or a barbeque for that charred flavor. Alternatively, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three and fry until brown. Set aside and keep warm. 
3. Heat butter or ghee in the same pan. Add everything except cream and fenugreek leaves. Let it cook until it starts to sweat while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom.
4. Add 2 cups of water and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring until the sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown-red color.
5. Remove from heat, scoop mixture into a blender, and blend until smooth. Pass the blended sauce through a sieve and pour the sauce back into the pan. Stir in the cream and crushed fenugreek leaves. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
6. Garnish with cilantro and serve with fresh, hot garlic butter rice and fresh homemade naan!