Butter chicken spheres

Name: Butter chicken spheres
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp rapeseed oil; 2 cinnamon sticks; 5 green cardamom pods; 5 cloves; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste; 2 green finger chillies, finely chopped; 250g/9oz chicken thigh mince; 1 tsp ground turmeric; ½ tbsp ground coriander; ½ tbsp ground cumin; ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbsp sea salt; 75g/3oz frozen peas; ½ lemon, juice only; large handful coriander, chopped; 3 medium Maris Piper potatoes; 2 tbsp whole milk; sea salt and ground pepper; 2 tbsp ghee; 7 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 2 black cardamom pods; 2 bay leaves; 7 cloves; 1 cinnamon stick or cassia bark; 4 tbsp ginger and garlic paste; 1 tsp chopped green finger chilli; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 1½ tbsp ground coriander; 1½ tbsp ground cumin

Prepare: less than 30 mins
Cook: over 2 hours
Serve: Serves 4

Butter chicken is given a restaurant-style makeover here.

By Nisha Parmar

From Saturday Kitchen

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Ingredients

For the filling

2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 cinnamon sticks
5 green cardamom pods
5 cloves
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
2 green finger chillies, finely chopped
250g/9oz chicken thigh mince
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tbsp ground coriander
½ tbsp ground cumin
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp sea salt
75g/3oz frozen peas
½ lemon, juice only
large handful coriander, chopped

For the mash

3 medium Maris Piper potatoes
2 tbsp whole milk
sea salt and ground pepper

For the makhani sauce

2 tbsp ghee
7 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 black cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
7 cloves
1 cinnamon stick or cassia bark
4 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
1 tsp chopped green finger chilli
1 tbsp tomato purée
1½ tbsp ground coriander
1½ tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
200g/7oz plum tomatoes, blended
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
pinch salt
1 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
150ml/5½oz double cream
½ lemon, juice only
35g/1oz unsalted butter
micro herbs, to serve

For the breadcrumb coating

50g/1¾oz plain flour, seasoned
2 eggs, beaten and seasoned
150g/5½oz panko breadcrumbs
vegetable oil, for deep frying

Method

To make the filling, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and cook for about 30 seconds, until sizzling.
Add the onion and sauté for 7 minutes until golden, then add the ginger and garlic paste and chilli and sauté for 1 minute.
Next, add the chicken mince and mix well, breaking down the bigger clumps of mince with a wooden spoon. Once fully cooked and evenly broken down, add the ground spices, salt and peas, and let this cook for 10 minutes. Squeeze over the lemon and stir through the chopped coriander. Leave to cool. Remove the whole spices before using the mix.
Meanwhile, to make the mash, boil the potatoes whole in their skins for about 30 minutes until cooked through. Once cool enough to handle, grate them into a bowl (leaving the skins behind) and add the milk and seasoning.
Mash the potato mixture then beat until smooth.
To make the spheres, roll out 1 tablespoon of the mash between two sheets of cling film to create a flat surface the size of a postcard. Peel away the top layer of cling film and place 3 tablespoons of chicken filling on the potato. Now bring up each corner of the cling film and twist into a ball shape. Continue in the same fashion until all the mixture has been used up. Refrigerate the cling filmed balls for an hour to rest and set.
Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat the ghee in a pan over a low-medium heat until fully melted, then add the whole spices and let them fizz for about 45 seconds.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and chilli, stirring for a minute to make sure it doesn't catch.
Add the tomato purée followed by the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric and chilli powder. Cook for 1 minute then add 50ml/2fl oz water and the blended tomatoes.
Now add the garam masala and rub the fenugreek leaves between your palms over the sauce. Simmer for about 12 minutes until the oil floats to the top.
Remove the whole spices and blend the sauce until smooth. Season with salt, add the sugar, cream and lemon juice and stir continuously until the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Finish by adding the butter to achieve shine and a luxuriously smooth texture.
Prepare your breadcrumbing station. Put the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls and carefully unwrap the balls from the clingfilm. Roll each sphere first in the flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs, ensuring an even coating of each. Once they are all coated, leave them to chill in the fridge for a further 30 minutes.
Heat enough vegetable oil to come halfway up the sides of a large, heavy-based saucepan or deep-fat fryer. Heat to 180°C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Deep-fry the spheres in batches for 2–3 minutes, turning a few times to ensure even browning. Remove to kitchen paper to drain. If frying in advance, keep them warm in a low oven.
To serve, heat the makhani sauce, spoon about 2 tablespoons onto the middle of each plate and carefully place a sphere on top. Garnish with micro herbs.