ChefMike

This one-pot butter chicken rice is a dish from India, and a favourite of the athletes I cooked for. Butter chicken, or murgh makhani, is chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, then cooked in a rich tomato, butter and cream sauce. Here I take those same flavours and cook the rice straight in the sauce, so every grain soaks it up.

So to start with, here are the ingredients you need.

Ingredients

• Chicken. Boneless, skinless thighs and breast. I use both: thighs stay juicy, breast gives a leaner bite. Either alone works too.
• Plain yogurt. Tenderises the chicken and helps the spices cling to every piece.
• Lemon juice.
• Spices. Garam masala, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika, salt. Kashmiri chilli gives the colour without too much heat.
• Tomato paste and passata. Paste for depth, passata for the silky sauce.
• Rice. Long-grain sella basmati. Regular long-grain or basmati also works; adjust liquid and time to your rice.
• Butter and oil.
• Onion, garlic and ginger.
• Chicken stock. Homemade if you can. I show you how.
• Heavy cream.
• A small pinch of sugar. Optional, to balance the tomatoes.
• Fresh cilantro, to serve.