The older I get the lazier I get. I used to make butter chicken from scratch, but now I just buy a rotisserie chicken and use the meat from that. It works great, and takes a lot less time. But this is still a somewhat involved process requiring a fair number of specialty ingredients.

I still pair it with Jeera Rice, which I keep frozen in 1 cup portions. In fact, frequently I don’t even add the chicken to the sauce; I freeze it by itself, then add the chicken when I reheat it.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 4 teaspoons ginger paste
  • 3 tablespoons garam masala
  • 2 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup cashews (optional)
  • 1/2 cup full-fat, plain yogurt
  • 1 pound rotisserie chicken meat (preferably dark), torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add garam masala, curry powder, chili powder, salt, and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Add butter and stir until melted.
  6. Add half of crushed tomatoes, using a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan. Add remaining crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, and cashews. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 10 minutes.
  7. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth.
  8. Stir in yogurt until smooth. Adjust salt to taste.
  9. Add chicken and stir to coat. Return to low heat and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
  10. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice.