Indian Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons tandoori masala powder
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup cashews
1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed

Preparation

Mix garam masala, tandoori masala, curry, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl to make spice mixture.
Place chicken in a large bowl and add 1/2 the spice mixture; turn to coat evenly.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in remainder of the spice mixture, lemon juice, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir until combined, about 1 minute.
Stir tomato puree into onion mixture and cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Pour in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Blend cashews in a blender until finely ground. Add sauce to the blender; puree until smooth.
Pour blended sauce over chicken in the skillet. Simmer until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.