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Chicken Ruby

  • 700g skinless, boneless
  • chicken thighs
  • 20g unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 makhani sauce
  • 50ml double cream

For the marinade:

  • 10g fresh root ginger, chopped
  • 20g garlic (5-6 cloves), chopped
  • 5g fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp garam masala (page 356)
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 75g full-fat Greek yoghurt

Garnish:

  • Ginger matchsticks
  • Coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
  1. For the marinade, blitz the ingredients together in a blender to a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl.
  2. Cut the chicken into 4cm chunks. Add to the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 6-24 hours.
  3. Heat the grill to medium-high. Place the marinated chicken on a rack in the grill pan, brush with the melted butter and grill for 8-10 minutes, until cooked through and nicely charred.
  4. Warm a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the makhani sauce, cream and grilled chicken and simmer very gently for 10 minutes.
  5. Serve the curry garnished with ginger matchsticks, chopped coriander and pomegranate seeds, with a bowl of steamed rice on the side.

Makhani sauce​

This rich, creamy sauce is used for the chicken ruby.

  • 35g garlic (8-9 cloves)
  • 175ml vegetable oil
  • 20g fresh root ginger
  • 800g chopped tomatoes (fresh or good-quality tinned)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 green cardamom pods
  • 2 black cardamom pods
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 ½ tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
  • 30g butter
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 20g granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed to a powder between your fingers
  • ½ tsp fresh dill fronds.
  • 80ml double cream
  1. Take 15g garlic and finely dice it. Warm a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Toss in the chopped garlic and fry until light golden brown and slightly crispy, about 7-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
  2. Grate the remaining garlic and the ginger to a fine paste on a microplane, or grind using a pestle and mortar.
  3. Using a blender, blitz the chopped tomatoes to a fine consistency.
  4. Place the saucepan containing the oil back over a medium-high heat and add the bay leaves, green and black cardamom pods and the cinnamon sticks. Let them crackle for 1 minute, stirring regularly.
  5. Turn the heat down and add the garlic and ginger paste. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing the paste to brown but not burn.
  6. Add the tomatoes, salt and chilli powder to the pan. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook until reduced by half, stirring regularly so that it doesn't catch. This should take about 30 minutes.
  7. Add the butter and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
  8. Add the garam masala, sugar, honey, cumin, crispy garlic, dried fenugreek and fresh dill fronds and cook for a further 15 minutes.
  9. If the sauce is to be used straight away, add the cream and simmer gently for 5 minutes; it is then ready to use. If not using immediately, alow to cool, cover and refrigerate; add the cream when you reheat the sauce to assemble your dish.