Stovetop: Butter Chicken Made with Our Punjabi Masala
Serves 4 – 6
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (dairy or alternative) or ghee
1 green cardamom pod, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle *
1 black cardamom pod (no need to crush)
6 cloves, finely ground
1 cassia or 2 bay leaves
¼ cup almond flour **
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cubed
1 cup Indian As Apple Pie Punjabi masala ***
1-4 Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons red chile powder or cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons paprika (unsmoked)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted tomato paste
1 medium tomato, pureed
¼ cup water
½ cup half-and-half or heavy cream (dairy or alternative)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for garnish
1. Heat a large, heavy saute pan (4 to 6 quarts) on your stovetop over medium-high heat. When hot, add the butter or ghee, green and black cardamom, cloves, and cassia or bay leaves. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the flour. Stir and cook for 40 seconds. You can also use ground blanched almonds, all-purpose flour, or quinoa flour instead.
3. Add the chicken. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the Punjabi masala, fresh chiles, garam masala, ground cumin, red chile powder, paprika, sugar, and salt. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the tomato paste, pureed tomato, and water. Stir and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Remember, you are not only cooking the chicken, you are also cooking the ingredients so they integrate well with the sauce. An indication that the curry is ready is that the butter will start to separate slightly on the surface and the bubbles will become larger and slower to pop.
6. Turn the heat off, place a lid over the pan and let the dish sit for 2 minutes. Add the cream and the cilantro and stir. The cream holds up better once the dish cools slightly. Remove and discard the green cardamom husk (or leave it in - it's edible), the black cardamom and cassia or bay leaves or leave them in for flavor and eat around them. All the other spices are edible. Serve with basmati rice or Indian bread like roti or naan.
* I like to leave the husk in because it adds flavor - they are also safe to eat.
** I like adding almonds to my butter chicken for a creamier sauce, and almond flour is an easier way to do this. If you avoid nuts, then just leave this out. You can also replace it with the same amount of all-purpose flour to add a little thickness to your dish or ½ cup blanched, sliced almonds ground first in a food processor until smooth.
*** Our Indian As Apple Pie curry starter Punjabi Masala makes this dish not only easy but gives you the Punjabi taste profile you've been craving and missing! The magic is in our sauce! Order a few jars today from our website or pick up a few jars from one of our retail partners.
Digital Recipe Card. This image is downloadable. Just save it in your phone in your IAAP (for Indian As Apple Pie) album and never be without your ingredient list at the grocery store! 
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