Butter Chicken Dinner

Three to four hours before serving, trim the chicken. Mix all marinade ingredients, coat the thighs thoroughly, cover and refrigerate.

Make the naan dough: mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add yoghurt, oil and 130ml warm water. Mix, adding up to 15ml more water a teaspoon at a time, until soft and slightly tacky. Knead for 8 minutes, cover in an oiled bowl and prove for 60-90 minutes.

Make the sauce base: melt 25g of the 40g butter with the oil over medium-low heat. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 10-12 minutes. Add garlic for 1 minute, then ginger, 2 tsp garam masala, cumin, coriander, chilli and paprika for 30 seconds.

Cook the tomato puree for 2 minutes. Add passata, water, cashews and 1 tsp salt. Simmer partially covered for 20 minutes, blend completely smooth and pass through a fine sieve if desired. Do not yet add cream, finishing butter, lemon or extra garam masala.

Knock back the risen dough, divide into four equal balls, cover tightly and refrigerate until 45 minutes before serving. Mix the cheese, spring onion and optional chilli. Prepare the onion garnish by combining onion, lime, salt and sugar. Rinse and optionally soak the rice for up to 1 hour, then drain.

Forty-five minutes before serving, remove the chicken and dough from the fridge. Heat the grill to high with a shelf close to the element. Line a tray with foil and add a rack if available. Begin reheating the sauce gently.

Forty minutes before serving, put the drained rice, water, salt, cardamom, bay and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to the boil uncovered, cover and cook at the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Turn off and rest covered for 10 minutes without lifting the lid.

Thirty-eight minutes before serving, shake only the heaviest marinade from the chicken. Grill in one layer for 7-8 minutes, turn and grill for 6-8 minutes until charred and at least 75°C in the centre. Rest for 5 minutes.

Twenty-five minutes before serving, stir the cream and 1/4 tsp extra garam masala into the hot sauce and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes. Add honey only if the tomato is still sharp. Slice the chicken into large pieces, reserve the best-charred pieces and stir the rest plus clean tray juices into the sauce.

Fluff the rice with 10g butter, removing the cardamom and bay, then cover. Roll two dough balls into 3-4mm teardrops. Fill the other two with half the cheese mixture each, pinch closed, turn seam-side down and gently roll into thick teardrops.

Heat a heavy dry frying pan until very hot. Lightly dampen one side of a naan and place it wet-side down. Cook for 60-90 seconds until bubbled and charred, turn and cook for 30-60 seconds. Give cheese naans gentler heat and up to 60 seconds extra. Wrap cooked naans in a clean tea towel.

Mix melted butter, garlic, coriander and salt. Brush generously over plain naans and lightly over cheese naans. Off the heat, finish the curry with 15g cold butter and 1 tsp lemon juice; taste before adding the second teaspoon.

Serve rice and butter chicken in warm shallow bowls, keeping reserved charred chicken visible. Add cream, coriander and pickled onion. Give each person half a garlic naan and half a cheese naan.