Butter Chicken

Total Time: 5 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 4 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup blanched almond
• 2/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 40 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
• 5 tablespoons ghee (it's the butter in butter chicken, but i've been known to use olive oil also)
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaf, torn
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Recipe

• 1 place the ginger, garlic, and almonds into a food processor and turn into a paste. blend paste with yogurt, spices, and tomato sauce in a bowl. add chicken pieces and let marinate in sauce for four hours, or overnight.
• 2 preheat oven to 350°. heat ghee in a deep, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. add onion and fry for 10 minutes, until softened and brown. remove onions to a dutch oven. fry chicken pieces in batches for 5 minutes to brown a bit. add to dutch oven. deglaze frying pan with cream, let set for one minute, and then add to dutch oven with chicken and remainder of marinade. put lid on dutch oven.
• 3 bake for 1 hour. remove from oven and spoon off some of the excess oil.
• 4 optional: remove lid on dutch oven and switch to low broiler. allow chicken to brown for 5-10 minutes.