Jimmy's Butter Chicken

SERVES: 4
PREPARATION: 20 MINUTES
COOK: 40 MINUTES

Ingredients
140g (1/2 cup) Greek style yoghurt
3cm piece ginger, peeled finely grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2tbs garam masala
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbs olive oil, plus extra, to grease
1/4 cup roughly chopped coriander, plus extra leaves to serve
800g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm wide strips
2 tbs ghee (clarified butter) (see my notes)
2 onions thinly sliced
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tbs tomato paste
2 long red chillies, seeded, finely chopped
260g (1 cup) passata (sieved pureed tomatoes)
300ml pouring cream
1 bunch mint, leaves picked, finely chopped


Basmati rice and pappadams, to serve

Method
Combine yoghurt, ginger, garlic, 1tbs garam masala, lemon juice, oil and half the coriander in a large bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours. 


Preheat a lightly greased barbecue or char-grill pan over medium - high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and cook, in 2 batches, turning for 6 minutes or until almost cooked through.


Heat ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, turmeric, tomato paste, chillies and remaining garam masala, and cook stirring for 5 minutes or until onions are soft. Add passata and cook for 5 minutes or until thickened slightly. Reduce heat to low, add cream, mint and remaining coriander, and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add chicken and simmer stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens. Scatter with extra coriander and serve with rice and pappadums.

My Notes
This was a absolute screamer of a great dish! really tasty!!! The recipe comes from one of 2010 Australian Master Chef contestants Jimmy Seervai and was published in the 2nd edition of Masterchef Magazine. 

I must say at first look at this magazine I was disappointed....it just does not overflow with fabulous recipes like the 1st one, but on the second look I did find a few things that I wouldn't mind making. 


Really the only note I would differ on in this recipe is that the sauce doesn't need to thicken, the consistency is really good right from the start! so keep an eye on it to make sure the sauce doesn't reduce too much. 


Oh and don't go looking for ghee in the fridge section of the supermarket! It's not in the butter section..."who knew?" It is in the ethnic food section, we had a really helpful young girl at woolies go hunting for it :)