Indian Butter Chicken

Step 1

Start by marinating bite-size chicken breast pieces with whole-milk yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, cumin, ginger, garlic, and salt. Place all of the ingredients in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and let marinate for at least 1 hour. Overnight is ideal.

Step 2

After marinating, sauté the chicken in a skillet, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and set over medium-high heat, until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side. Set aside.

Step 3

Heat butter in the same skillet and add onion.  Saute until onion starts to become tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, spices, sugar, and salt. Cook until onions are completely translucent and soft -- about 10-15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

Step 4

If you desire a smooth sauce, carefully add the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Always be careful when using a blender with hot sauces. It can explode so make sure to slightly vent the top.

Step 5

Add chicken to the sauce and heat for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve on top of rice or with Naan bread.