Onion Bhaji Butter Chicken Bowls

Onion bhaji butter chicken bowls. Wow.

Done in 4 hours

Serves 4

Dish by Hugh Woodward

Ingredients

For the bhajis:

300ggram flour

1 tspground cumin

2 tspcoriander seeds

1 tspcumin seeds

1 tspturmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tspgaram masala

2 tspbaking powder

1 tspsalt

2 tspbaking powder

handfulcurry leaves

2 onionssliced

300mlwater

For the butter chicken:

2 tsp vegetable oil

2 tbspGreek yoghurt

2 tbspginger garlic paste

2 tbspflaked salt

1 tspmild chilli powder

1/2 tspturmeric

1 lemonjuiced

3 chicken breasts, diced

the sauce:

3 tbspvegetable oil

1 tbspcumin seeds

6 cardamom pods, bruised

2 bay leaves

1cinnamon stick

1onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tspturmeric

1 tspsmoked paprika

2 tbsp tomato puree

300gpassata

100mldouble cream

2 tbspmethi

50g butter

salt to taste

This is literally a butter chicken in an onion bhaji. Do we need to say any more? A mix of two incredible Indian delicacies – what more could you want?

Method

Mix all the bhaji ingredients together and press into lined bowls, then freeze for a few hours until solid. Remove from the bowls.

Combine all the chicken marinade ingredients and set aside. After an hour, skewer the chicken and grill until charred and cooked though.

Heat the oil and fry the whole spices, then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the ground spices then the tomato puree. Pour on the passata and cook until the sauce has thickened, then add the cream, methi and butter. Place the chicken into the curry to warm through.

Heat a deep fat fryer to 170°C and fry the bhaji bowls. When they are cooked though fill them with rice and spoon over the butter chicken. Top with coriander.

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Hugh Woodward

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Hugh's culinary life began aged 14 when he cooked spaghetti hoop burritos to impress girls. Since then his colourful career has taken him to performing in Skegness, making cheese in Peckham, running a wine bar on Columbia Road and reluctantly working in a (briefly) Michelin Starred restaurant. He likes fish, things cooked on charcoal, cheap dinners and London's rich cultural tapestry of food shops. When he's not cooking or eating he can be found mudlarking by the river Thames, buying bits in flea markets and hanging out with his cat Keith.