Rustle up these delicious one-pot chicken winners, including creamy French chasseur, fragrant tagine and a Mexican-style nacho dish
Classic butter chicken
Swap your usual takeaway for homemade butter chicken (chicken makhani). This hearty, aromatic dish is made in two parts, combining tandoori chicken with a rich, buttery sauce.
SERVES 4-6 PREP 45 mins plus 3 hrs chilling COOK 50 mins MORE EFFORT ❄
3 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
4 skinless chicken breasts or
8 thigh fillets, chopped into 5cm cubes
3 tbsp melted butter or ghee
2 tsp garam masala
100ml single cream large pinch of coriander leaves, to garnish
For the marinade
200ml natural yogurt
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp amchoor powder (dried mango powder)
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
1 tbsp dried mint leaves
For the sauce
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
4-8 hot green chillies, sliced
90g butter or ghee
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 green cardamom pods, cracked
½ tbsp crushed garlic
½ tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
500ml passata, diluted with
150ml water
1 Rub the lemon juice, chilli powder and a pinch of salt into the chicken pieces, then chill for 1 hr. To make the marinade, combine all of the ingredients with 1 tsp salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed, then coat the chicken in the marinade. Chill for another 2 hrs.
2 Heat the grill to high. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers, reserving any marinade, and brush over the melted butter. Cook under the grill for 8-10 mins, turning now and then. (Don’t worry if the chicken is undercooked – it will finish cooking in the sauce.) Put on a plate.
3 To make the sauce, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pan and add a few cumin seeds. When they start sizzling, add the rest of the seeds. Swirl the pan, reduce the heat and add the chillies. Stir once or twice until the skins of the chillies have blistered, then add the butter. Turn the heat to high and cook until the butter has melted. Add the onions and fry for 10 mins until soft. If you prefer a smooth sauce, blitz the mixture in a blender. Alternatively, scrape into a bowl and set aside.
4 Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper and heat the remaining oil. Add the crushed cardamom pods. When they have swelled and lightened i
