One Pot Butter Chicken Masala With Coconut Milk

• Garam Masala - one of the main things that make this chicken a butter chicken masala is this rich blend of aromatic spices. Garam Masala is a staple in Indian kitchens. It makes the dish smokier, richer, and more aromatic. It is traditionally made out of bay leaves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, cloves, cumin seeds, nutmeg, and coriander seeds. You can make your own or buy a good quality store-bought. You can definitely use a little bit more than the recipe stated if you're going for a store-bought option as these tend to be less flavorful.
• Ginger garlic - in most of the traditional recipes, a homemade ginger garlic paste is a must. It helps with a creamy texture and of course spicy flavor. You can make it your own by using equal parts of fresh garlic cloves and ginger root, adding a little oil, and salt. Blend in a food processor until paste-like texture. Use 1-2 tablespoons depending on personal preference. In the instructions, I added the amount for adding ginger and garlic separately.
• Chicken - chicken breast or chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are preferred as they are juicy and have fewer chances to dry out. Cut the chicken into strips or cubes or as you like it. Chicken strips tend to hold in the sauce better. 
• Yogurt - full-fat greek yogurt is the key to getting creamy tender chicken. It keeps the chicken more moist and juicy, whatever chicken part you are using the yogurt will make it better!
• Butter - which makes this dish so much creamier. You can use ghee instead and it will give a richer flavor but make it less creamy. The difference is small but still noticeable. 
• Tomato paste and puree- add substance and acidity to the sauce. I find that using canned is more convenient and honestly more sweeter and flavorful than using fresh. It will course depend on where your fresh tomatoes are coming from.
• Full fat coconut milk - I like to use coconut milk but if you don’t like the flavor you can use more traditional, full-fat heavy cream for a richer and dense creamy flavor. 
• Honey - I also added a little honey here to make the sauce even richer and intensify other flavors. For an alterative, you could use maple syrup or brown sugar. Or leave it out completely.

Tips

• Instead of tomato puree, you can use fresh and cook them along with onions and garlic. With an immersion blender, break down the mixture into fine (or with some chunks) puree, and strain it into the same pan before returning the chicken.
• Coconut cream can be subbed with heavy cream with more fat content. Do not boil the cream you really need just 1 or 2 minutes to simmer it on low heat.
• Chicken thighs over chicken breasts - thighs give juicier results.
• You only need to sear the chicken in the beginning, not cook it until the end. It will continue to cook when added to the sauce. 
• Tomato paste and sauce matter. A good quality one will make quite a difference. Use classical Italian brands whenever possible.
• Cashews - if you have some on hand, these add extra creaminess and lusciousness to the dish. And are quite popular in the traditional methods of making butter chicken masala. You’ll need to add these along with the tomato puree step and simmer until the nuts are softened. Then, blend until the sauce and nuts are very smooth.  

Freezing And Storing Instructions

As usual fresh is ALWAYS best in terms of freshness, nutrition and of course, flavor. But if you need to store the leftovers or even freeze this keep the butter chicken masala in an airtight container (glass preferably and refrigerate for 1-2 days, max.

For freezing, cool the cooked dish completely. Place it into an airtight container, plastic zip-top bag, or freezable glass bowl. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop adding more cream and stock as needed.