Murgh makhani – butter chicken

To begin, mix the chicken with the ginger and garlic paste and salt and set aside. Whisk together the yoghurt, chilli powder, garam masala and oil, massage into the chicken and marinate for a minimum of 4 hours in the fridge

For the makhani sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan. Pierce the green chillies a few times with a sharp knife and add to the pan with the whole spices, bay leaves and ginger. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes and simmer over a medium heat for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp

Pass the contents of the pan through a conical strainer or sieve and set the resulting sauce aside. Put what’s left in the sieve onto a tray, remove and discard as many of the whole spices and green chillies as possible, then purée in a blender, with a little water if required. Pass through a sieve and add to the tomato sauce. Place the sauce back on the heat, bring to the boil and add the chilli powder, honey, tomato paste and butter. Season with salt and simmer for a further 20 minutes

Meanwhile, grill the marinated chicken in a tandoor, on a barbecue or under a hot grill until cooked through. Add the cooked chicken to a saucepan set over a medium heat, stir in the cashews and pour in the makhani sauce. Sprinkle with the Kasoori methi, add the cream and simmer for a few minutes

Divide between serving bowls and add a knob of butter to each bowl before serving