Takeaways at home: Butter chicken

Serving size: Serves 4-6
Cuisine type: Indian
Cooking time: Less than 60 minutes
Course: Lunch, Main
Favourite flavours: Chicken, Curry

Don't spend all that money on take-away food when you can make your own version at home! It doesn't mean you have to slave away cooking everything from scratch — use some of the fabulous convenience flavour bases available to help you along. You'll find making your own takeaways will save you money, and they taste great!
— Jennene

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
60g butter
750g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, quartered
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala (see tip)
¼ teaspoon chilli powder
1 cup tomato puree
½ cup thickened cream
1/3 cup thick natural yoghurt
¼ cup toasted flaked almonds, coriander leaves, rice, warm roti, to serve

METHOD

Heat oil and half the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan on high. Cook chicken in 3 batches, for 3-4 minutes each, until browned. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and add remaining butter. Sauté onion, ginger and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, garam masala and chilli powder and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Blend in tomato puree and season to taste. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, until slightly reduced. Turn heat to low.
Return chicken to saucepan with cream and yoghurt. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with almonds and coriander. Serve with rice and roti.

Top tip

If liked, use a store-bought butter chicken flavour base and omit the spices.
Garam masala is a combination of dried spices, usually including coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and grated nutmeg.

For more takeaways at home, see this week's Woman's Day (on sale March 16).

MESSENGER