I want to be very clear that this is not an authentic butter chicken. The authentic version involves marinating overnight, charring in a tandoor oven, and a sauce that simmers for hours. This is the version I make on a Tuesday when I want butter chicken but also want to be sitting on the couch by 7 pm. It is excellent.
A good-quality store-bought tikka paste is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, and I am at complete peace with that. The trick is toasting the paste in the pan before adding anything else — it blooms the spices and takes the whole dish from "jar sauce" to "she made this herself." Nobody needs to know.
Serve with naan bread that you've warmed in the oven (or, honestly, microwaved — I said what I said), basmati rice, and a little bowl of yoghurt on the side. The kids eat it without complaint, which in this house is the highest accolade.
"Toast the paste first. That's the difference between Tuesday dinner and a compliment."
Ingredients
- 700g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm pieces
- 3 tbsp tikka masala paste (good quality)
- 400ml coconut cream
- 400g tin crushed tomatoes
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh coriander and natural yoghurt, to serve
Method
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large deep-sided frypan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5–6 minutes until softened and starting to colour. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more.
Step 2
Add the tikka paste to the pan and stir constantly for 2 minutes until it darkens slightly and becomes fragrant. This step makes a real difference — don't skip it.
Step 3
Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat in the paste. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sealed on the outside. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and coconut cream, add the sugar and a good pinch of salt, and stir to combine.
Step 4
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 18–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Stir through the butter at the end for richness. Serve scattered with coriander and a dollop of yoghurt.
