First Marinade (Chicken)
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|
| Chicken breastcut into large cubes; thighs work too | 1 1/2 to 2 lb (680-900 g) | 680 g | 1.36 kg | 2.04 kg | 2.72 kg |
| Lemon juicefresh-squeezed | 2 tbspor bottled lemon juice (equal amount) | 30 mL | 60 mL | 90 mL | 120 mL |
| Kashmiri chili powderor mild chili powder plus a pinch of paprika | 3 tsp | 9 g | 18 g | 27 g | 36 g |
| Kosher salt | 1 tsp | 5 g | 10 g | 15 g | 20 g |
Second Marinade (Chicken)
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|
| Greek yogurt | 1/3 cup | 80 g | 160 g | 240 g | 320 g |
| Avocado oilor other neutral oil | 2 tbsp | 30 mL | 60 mL | 90 mL | 120 mL |
| Ground fenugreekfenugreek leaves preferred | 1 tsp | 3 g | 6 g | 9 g | 12 g |
| Turmeric powder | 2 tsp | 6 g | 12 g | 18 g | 24 g |
| Garlic, minced | 3 tbspor about 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder | 45 mL | 90 mL | 135 mL | 180 mL |
| Ginger, minced | 1 tbspor about 1/2 tsp ground ginger | 15 mL | 30 mL | 45 mL | 60 mL |
| Garam masala | 2 tsp | 6 g | 12 g | 18 g | 24 g |
Butter Chicken Sauce
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|
| Tomatoessweet variety like sugar bombs; pureed | 24 oz (680 g) | 680 g | 1.36 kg | 2.04 kg | 2.72 kg |
| Unsalted butterto start the sauce | 3 tbsp | 42 g | 84 g | 126 g | 168 g |
| Cinnamon sticktoasted in butter, then removed | 1 stick | 1 stick | 2 stick | 3 stick | 4 stick |
| Green chilislit lengthwise; removed after toasting | 1 whole | 1 whole | 2 whole | 3 whole | 4 whole |
| Cardamom podsremoved after toasting | 6 pods | 6 pods | 12 pods | 18 pods | 24 pods |
| Clovesremoved after toasting | 3 small pieces | 3 pieces | 6 pieces | 9 pieces | 12 pieces |
| Garlic, minced | 2 tbspor about 1 tsp garlic powder | 30 mL | 60 mL | 90 mL | 120 mL |
| Ginger, minced | 2 tspor about 1/4 tsp ground ginger | 10 mL | 20 mL | 30 mL | 40 mL |
| Cashews | 30 whole | 30 whole | 60 whole | 90 whole | 120 whole |
| Kashmiri chili powder | 2 tsp | 6 g | 12 g | 18 g | 24 g |
| Sugar | 1 tsp | 4 g | 8 g | 12 g | 16 g |
| Chicken juices | reserved from broiling | — | — | — | — |
| Water | 2 cups | 480 mL | 960 mL | 1.44 L | 1.92 L |
| Garam masala | 1 tsp | 3 g | 6 g | 9 g | 12 g |
| Fenugreek seedsfenugreek leaves preferred | 1 tsp | 3 g | 6 g | 9 g | 12 g |
| Unsalted buttercold, to finish | 2 tbsp | 28 g | 56 g | 84 g | 112 g |
| Heavy cream | 1/4 cup | 60 mL | 120 mL | 180 mL | 240 mL |
| Saltadd more at the end if needed | 1-2 tsp, to taste | 5 g | 10 g | 15 g | 20 g |
| Cream | for garnish | — | — | — | — |
| Cilantro | for garnish | — | — | — | — |
Garlic Naan Dough
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|
| Active dry yeast | 2 tsp | 8 g | 16 g | 24 g | 32 g |
| Sugarto feed the yeast | 1 tsp | 4 g | 8 g | 12 g | 16 g |
| Lukewarm water | 1/2 cup | 120 mL | 240 mL | 360 mL | 480 mL |
| Egg | 1 large | 1 large | 2 large | 3 large | 4 large |
| Avocado oil | 1/3 cup | 80 mL | 160 mL | 240 mL | 320 mL |
| Plain yogurt | 1/4 cup | 60 g | 120 g | 180 g | 240 g |
| All-purpose flour | 2 1/3 cups | 280 g | 560 g | 840 g | 1.12 kg |
| Salt | 1 tsp | 5 g | 10 g | 15 g | 20 g |
Garlic Butter
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|
| Unsalted butter | 1 stick (113 g) | 113 g | 226 g | 339 g | 452 g |
| Garlic, minced | 5 clovesor about 1 tsp garlic powder | 5 cloves | 10 cloves | 15 cloves | 20 cloves |
| Cilantro, choppedstirred in at the last minute | 3/4 cup | 30 g | 60 g | 90 g | 120 g |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp | 3 g | 6 g | 9 g | 12 g |
Pantry swaps
| Original | Swap1 | Swap2 | Swap3 | Swap4 | Swap5 |
|---|
| Lemon juice | 1/2 teaspoon vinegar | 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice and 1 teaspoon dried grated rind | Bottled lemon juice | | |
| 1 | 0.5 | — | 1 | | |
| Greek yogurt | 1 cup sour cream (thicker; less tart) or buttermilk (thinner; use in baking, dressings, sauces) | | | | |
| 1 | 1 | | | | |
| Garlic, minced | Garlic powder | | | | |
| 1 | 0.125 | | | | |
| Ginger, minced | Ground ginger | | | | |
| 1 | 0.333 | | | | |
| Tomatoes | 1/2 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup water | 1–1/3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, simmered | | | |
| 1 | 0.5 | 1.33 | | | |
| Unsalted butter | 1 cup margarine | 1 cup shortening plus 1/2 teaspoon salt | 7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt | 1 cup shortening | 7/8 cup vegetable oil |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.875 | 1 | 0.875 |
| Cinnamon stick | Ground cinnamon | | | | |
| — | — | | | | |
| Green chili | Dried chili flakes | | | | |
| — | — | | | | |
| Cardamom pods | Ground cardamom | | | | |
| — | — | | | | |
| Cloves | Ground cloves | | | | |
| — | — | | | | |
| Sugar | 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar | 1–3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (makes baked goods less crisp) | 1 cup superfine sugar | | |
| 1 | 1 | 1.75 | 1 | | |
| Fenugreek seeds | Ground fenugreek | | | | |
| 1 | 0.5 | | | | |
| Heavy cream | 3/4 cup milk plus 1/3 cup melted butter (this will not whip) | | | | |
| 1 | 0.75 | | | | |
| Cilantro | Parsley (for color only; flavor cannot be duplicated) | | | | |
| — | — | | | | |
| Active dry yeast | 1 package (1/4 ounce) or 1 scant tablespoon active dried yeast | | | | |
| — | — | | | | |
| Egg | 2 yolks plus 1 tablespoon cold water | 3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus 1 tablespoon water (for baking) | 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (for cakes) | 2 1/2 tablespoons of powdered egg substitute plus 2 1/2 tablespoons water, or 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute | half a banana mashed with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Plain yogurt | 1 cup sour cream (thicker; less tart) or buttermilk (thinner; use in baking, dressings, sauces) | | | | |
| 1 | 1 | | | | |
| All-purpose flour | 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons cake flour (not advised for cookies or quick breads) | 1 cup self-rising flour (omit baking powder and salt from recipe)Reader suggestion:\xa05/8 cup potato flour | 1–1/4 cups rye flour or coarsely ground whole-grain flour | 1 cup cornmeal | |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.25 | 1 | |
Method
Butter chicken
- Trim any excess fat off the chicken breast and remove the tenders. Cut the breast and tenders into large cubes – big enough for a good chunk in every bite.
- First marinade: mix the chicken with the lemon juice, Kashmiri chili powder, and kosher salt. Let it sit for about 20 minutes.
- Second marinade: add the Greek yogurt, avocado oil, ground fenugreek, turmeric, minced garlic and ginger, and garam masala. Mix well so every piece is coated. Marinate at least 2 hours; 12 hours overnight is better, and a full 24 hours is best.
- Broil: spread the marinated chicken on a foil-lined sheet pan in a single layer – no large clumps, or it steams instead of browning. Broil on high for about 5 minutes, until the edges pick up a little char. The chicken should still be undercooked; it finishes in the sauce. Reserve the juices that come out.
- Tomato puree: blend the tomatoes for about 10 seconds, until smooth with maybe a little chunk left.
- Toast the cinnamon stick, slit green chili, cardamom pods, and clove pieces in a dry pan over low-medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the 3 tbsp butter and keep toasting the spices in it for about 2 minutes, then remove the whole spices – they only flavor the butter.
- Add the minced garlic and ginger to the butter and toast for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the tomato puree and turn the heat up to just over medium. Season with 1 tsp salt, the Kashmiri chili powder, and the sugar; add the cashews. Cook, stirring, for about 25 minutes, until the water cooks off, the puree turns into a sizzling paste, and the color deepens.
- Pour in the reserved chicken juices and the 2 cups of water. Bring back to a simmer, then blend on high for 1 minute. For an extra-velvety sauce, push it through a fine-mesh strainer.
- Finish: return the sauce to the pan over low heat. Stir in the garam masala, fenugreek, the remaining 2 tbsp cold butter, and the heavy cream. Add the broiled chicken and warm it gently for 2-3 minutes, until hot through but not overcooked. Finish with salt to taste.
Garlic naan
- Bloom the yeast: mix the lukewarm water, active dry yeast, and sugar in a small bowl and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
- Add the egg, avocado oil, and yogurt to the yeast mixture and mix. Combine the salt with the flour, pile it on the counter, and make a well in the center. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and work the flour in, then knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky. A stand mixer works too.
- Shape the dough into a ball and prove it in a bowl covered with a hot damp kitchen towel for 40-60 minutes at room temperature, until it rises.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, roll it into a rough log, and portion into 8-10 pieces. Roll each piece to about 1/4 inch thick in a rough, irregular shape.
- Garlic butter: melt the stick of unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and salt and cook for about 3 minutes, then turn off the heat. Stir in the chopped cilantro at the last minute – parsley or another herb works if you do not like cilantro.
- Cook each naan in a lightly oiled pan over high heat for about 30 seconds per side, until it bubbles and chars. Brush with garlic butter and stack them up.
Serve the butter chicken garnished with a drizzle of cream, fenugreek leaves or seeds, and cilantro, with the garlic naan on the side.
Notes
Servings: 6 (about 8-10 naan; estimate – the creator does not state a serving count). Per serving: 860 kcal, 38 g protein, 53 g carbs, 55 g fat, 5 g fiber. Macros are estimates summed from USDA per-100 g values; the creator does not state macros. The fiber estimate is mostly from the flour, tomatoes, spices, and cashews.
Quantities: exact from the creator’s video description. The chicken is listed as 1 1/2 to 2 lb; the table uses 1 1/2 lb (680 g) as the 1x base. The whole spices (cinnamon, chili, cardamom, cloves) are toasted in the butter and removed, so their calories are negligible and excluded.
Authentic note from the creator: butter chicken traditionally has no onion – that is chicken tikka masala territory. The cashews are what make the sauce creamy, along with the butter and cream. If cilantro tastes like soap to you, try parsley or another herb in the garlic butter.
Source: ThatDudeCanCook, “Restaurant Style Butter Chicken With Homemade Garlic Naan” (YouTube, 2022-12-03). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHgCYeXdRVI