Instructions
Marinate the chicken
1
Whisk yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chili, garam masala, cumin, salt, lemon, and oil in a bowl. Add the cubed chicken and turn until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is better; the flavor sinks in and the yogurt breaks down connective tissue).
Sear hard, don't cook through
2
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide skillet on high until it shimmers. Lay the chicken in a single layer, don't crowd it, and leave it alone for 3 minutes. Turn once, sear another 2 minutes. You want charred edges and about 80% cooked; the gravy finishes it. Transfer to a plate.
Build the gravy base
3
In a pot, melt 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp oil. Add cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger-garlic paste; sizzle 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, cashews, Kashmiri chili, sugar, salt, and ½ cup water. Simmer covered for 15 minutes until the tomatoes collapse and the cashews soften.
Blend and strain
4
Fish out the cinnamon and cardamom pods. Blend the rest until glass-smooth (60 seconds in a high-speed blender). Push it through a fine-mesh sieve back into the pot — this step is the difference between 'home curry' and 'restaurant curry.' Discard the seed-and-skin residue.
Enrich the sauce
5
Bring the strained gravy back to a low simmer. Stir in the cream, then whisk in the cold butter one cube at a time so it emulsifies rather than melts flat. The sauce should visibly gloss up. Taste for salt and sugar.
Finish the chicken in the sauce
6
Slide the seared chicken (and any resting juices) into the gravy. Simmer 8–10 minutes on low, stirring gently, until the pieces hit 165°F / 74°C on an instant-read thermometer. Crush the kasuri methi between your palms and scatter it in with the final ¼ tsp garam masala. Rest off heat 5 minutes before serving.
