CrustyCrab
Recipes

IndianBoneless, skinless chicken breast

Butter Chicken with Homemade Naan

Yogurt-marinated chicken breast charred in cast iron and finished in a blended tomato-cream gravy, with blistered stand-mixer naan from the same hot pan.

Calories
855kcal
Protein
55g
Carbs
66g
Fat
41g
Total, 1 hr active
2 hr 30 min, including marinating
Servings
6

Nutrition is per serving.

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 2.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, in 1½ in chunks
  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Gravy

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, plus a knob to finish
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), optional
  • About 1 tsp salt, to taste
  • Cooked basmati rice, to serve

Naan (makes 8)

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup warm water, plus more as needed
  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 tbsp melted butter or ghee, for the dough
  • 2 tbsp melted butter or ghee, for brushing
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced, and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional, for garlic naan)

Steps

  1. Marinate. Whisk together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, spices, salt and lemon juice. Fold in the chicken until fully coated. Cover and marinate at least 1 hour; overnight is better.
  2. Make the naan dough. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the warm water, yogurt, milk and 2 tbsp melted butter. Knead with the dough hook 6–8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If it is still crumbly after 3 minutes, add warm water 1 tbsp at a time with the mixer running until it forms a soft, slightly tacky ball.
  3. Rise. Move the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat and cover. Let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Build the gravy meanwhile.
  4. Char the chicken. Heat a cast iron skillet until very hot. Working in batches, sear the chicken about 2 minutes per side, charred outside but still slightly underdone inside. Set aside; it finishes in the gravy.
  5. Start the gravy. In the same pan, melt the butter with the oil. Cook the onion until soft and golden, about 8 minutes.
  6. Bloom the spices. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Stir in the garam masala, chili powder, coriander and cumin and toast 30 seconds.
  7. Simmer. Add the tomatoes and sugar and simmer, stirring, until darkened and thick, about 15 minutes; go by thickness, not the clock.
  8. Blend. Blend the sauce smooth with an immersion or stand blender and return it to the pan.
  9. Finish the curry. Stir in the cream, crumble in the methi and season with salt. Return the chicken and its juices and simmer gently 5–6 minutes, just until cooked through. Swirl in a knob of butter.
  10. Shape the naan. Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll each into a teardrop about ¼ in thick.
  11. Cook the naan. Heat the dry cast iron until very hot. Cook each naan 1–2 minutes, until it puffs and chars in spots, then flip for about 1 minute more.
  12. Butter and serve. Brush the hot naan with melted butter, with the garlic and cilantro stirred in for garlic naan, and keep warm under a towel. Serve the butter chicken over basmati with the naan.

Notes

  • Breast meat: cut it in large chunks, leave it underdone after the sear and let it finish in the gravy for only the last few minutes. Pull it the moment it’s cooked through.
  • Silkier sauce: soak 2 tbsp cashews in hot water and blend them into the sauce at the blend step.
  • Substitutes: paprika covers the Kashmiri chili, and the methi can be skipped.
  • Flour: all-purpose gives the softest naan. For more chew and bigger blisters, use 3 parts all-purpose to 1 part bread flour and add a splash more liquid.
  • At high altitude (around 5,000 ft): the dough rises faster, so start checking it at 40 minutes. The tomato sauce takes a little longer to thicken.