BUTTER CHICKEN WITH JEERA RICE

BUTTER CHICKEN WITH JEERA RICE
To prep the chicken you’ll need
5 chicken breasts (cubed) this recipe
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
salt
chilli spice/ cayenne pepper
Woolworths butter chicken spice
ginger paste
garlic paste
Mix well and cover with cling wrap, refrigerate for 20-30 min

For the gravy you’ll need
2 onions
ginger paste
garlic paste
2/3 tomatoes (chopped)
cream
1½ tbsp good quality butter
fermented vinegar/ white vinegar
sugar
salt
garam masala
fresh coriander

Add olive oil to pan or pot, brown chicken, set aside and cover with cling wrap. Chop up onions, add olive oil and butter to the same pot or pan, add chopped onions and sweat onions. Add tomatoes and mix well, add water and ginger and garlic paste, mix again and add salt to taste, garam masala spice, vinegar, sugar, chilli powder. Simmer for 20 min, add to blender and blend into fine puree. Sift liquid into the same pot (Its a must to sift, butter chicken should be velvety and free of chunks) then add butter (1½ tbsp) chicken and cream to the sauce. Turn up the heat and cook for 7-10 min. Garnish with cream and fresh coriander
A lot of the spices and ingredients don’t have measurements, that’s because I cook according to my taste, I like an overload of garlic and ginger so just season and cook according to your taste preference.

Jeera Rice
Soak and rinse 1½ cups basmati rice for 30 min
Add olive oil to pot, add a chopped onion
Add 1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon quill
8-12 black peppercorns
3 cloves
3 cardamom pods and salt
Brown till onion is transparent. Add rice to pot, along with water and squeeze half a lemons juice in. Cook till its fluffy and fragrant.
Recipe and photo: Daniella Steyn