Butter Chicken with Homemade Naan & Mint Raita

A proper pub-style butter chicken—rich, creamy—served with soft homemade naan and a fresh mint & cucumber raita.

🫓 Homemade Naan

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dry yeast

• ½ teaspoon caster sugar

• 2 cups (300g) plain flour

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• Pinch of salt

• ½ cup (125ml) milk

• ½ cup (140g) Greek yoghurt

• 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

• Melted butter, for brushing

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and a splash of warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes until foamy.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the centre.

3. Add milk, yoghurt and the yeast mixture. Mix until a dough forms.

4. Knead gently for about 5 minutes (by hand or mixer).

5. Place in a bowl and leave uncovered for 1 hour.

6. Add oil, knead again briefly, then leave to rise for another hour.

7. Divide into 4 balls. Roll each one thin (they’ll puff up when cooking).

8. Cook in a hot frypan until puffed and charred in spots, flipping once.

9. Brush with melted butter (or garlic butter) to finish.

🍗 Butter Chicken

Marinade

• 1kg chicken thighs, cut into chunks

• 1 cup yoghurt

• 1 tablespoon garam masala

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon ground chilli

• 1 tablespoon ground fenugreek

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• Juice of a quarter of a lemon

Curry Sauce

• 1 large brown onion, sliced

• 1½ cups passata

• 1 cup cashews

• 1 tablespoon garam masala

• 1 teaspoon fenugreek

• 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, or a stick of

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• Salt and pepper, to taste

To Finish

• ½ cup cream

• Knob of butter

Method

1. Marinate the chicken
   Combine all marinade ingredients with the chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (overnight is even better).

2. Cook the chicken
   Spread onto a tray and cook under a hot grill until lightly charred and mostly cooked through.

3. Make the sauce

   • Heat a little oil in a saucepan

   • Add onion, cashews and a splash of boiling water

   • Cook for a few minutes until softened

   • Add passata, spices, sugar, salt and pepper

   • Simmer on low for 20 minutes

4. Blend the sauce
   Carefully blend until smooth.

5. Bring it together

   • Add chicken to a large pan

   • Pour over the sauce and simmer gently

   • Stir through cream and butter to finish

🥒 Mint & Cucumber Raita

Ingredients

• 1 small Lebanese cucumber

• 1 handful fresh mint, finely chopped

• 1 cup Greek yoghurt

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Pinch of salt

• Pinch of sugar

• Pinch of cumin

• Pinch of cinnamon

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the cucumber.

2. Combine with mint and yoghurt.

3. Add lemon juice, salt, sugar and spices.

4. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

🍽 To Serve

Serve the butter chicken with:

• fluffy rice

• warm naan

• mint & cucumber raita

💡 Notes

• The naan works just as well with garlic butter brushed on at the end

• Don’t skip charring the chicken—it adds heaps of flavour

• This sauce freezes well if you want to batch it

• I like boiling basmati rice (in lots of water, then pouring into a colander once cooked) with a teaspoon of tumeric for the yellow colour