A recipe for butter chicken shared by a south London restaurant uses green cardamom pods to give the sauce a deeper, more aromatic flavour. The dish serves six to eight people and is ideal for feeding a family or entertaining friends.
A popular Indian classic
Butter chicken is one of North India's most indulgent curries, featuring succulent chicken pieces in a velvety tomato-based gravy. Created in Delhi, it is traditionally paired with naan bread, roti, or aromatic basmati rice, and garnished with fresh coriander and a swirl of cream.
Legend has it that butter chicken emerged from resourceful kitchen practices – chefs would use leftover tandoori chicken by gently cooking it in a butter-enriched tomato gravy. What started as a way to reduce food waste has become one of India's most celebrated curries.
The recipe
This version comes from KOKUM in East Dulwich, which has shared its popular Butter Chicken recipe. Among the key ingredients are 16 green cardamom pods, which lend the curry its distinctive aromatic depth and complexity.
For the masala, the recipe calls for 1kg cooked chicken tikka, three tablespoons of oil, two and a quarter tablespoons of ginger and garlic paste, 550g chopped fresh tomatoes, two teaspoons of salt, 100g cashew nuts (optional), a quarter of a red pepper, one green chilli, 800g good quality Italian tinned chopped tomatoes, one teaspoon of kasuri methi, two to three tablespoons of sugar, 50g unsalted butter, one tablespoon Kashmiri chilli powder, and two and a half teaspoons of garam masala.
How to make it
Warm the oil in a pan over a medium-low flame and stir in the ginger and garlic paste, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. Add the fresh chopped tomatoes, cardamom pods and salt, then cook while stirring regularly for 20-30 minutes, adding the green chillies and red pepper at the midway point. Add a splash of water whenever the mixture starts to dry out excessively.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, gently simmer the cashew nuts in water, ensuring they don't dry out. Once softened, drain and blitz into a smooth paste before folding into the tomato mixture. Tip in the tinned chopped tomatoes and kasuri methi, bring to the boil, and leave to cook for a further 20 minutes.
Fold in the butter and sugar, then incorporate the Kashmiri chilli powder and garam masala, stirring thoroughly and adjusting with additional salt and sugar to taste. Pour in more water if required, then carefully blend everything into a smooth gravy.
Add the cooked chicken tikka and heat through, stirring continuously for four to five minutes, before mixing in the mawa or single cream. Adjust the seasoning, finish with a garnish of sliced green chillies, ginger and fresh coriander, and serve straight away.
