Go Back
–+ servings
close-up of dishoom's chicken ruby curry served in a white bowl.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Dishoom’s Chicken Ruby Recipe

Make Dishoom's famous Chicken Ruby Curry recipe. It's surprisingly easy and wonderfully addictive. Inspired by Indian butter chicken, this restaurant-worthy dish is made with tender, char-grilled chicken cooked in a rich, creamy, tomato-based Makhani sauce. Serve it with Naan or steamed rice. Here’s how to make this dish with step-by-step photos and a recipe video.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 day 45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main
Cuisine: British-Indian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 630kcal
Author: Preeti

Equipment

  • 1 Mixing bowl
  • 1 Heavy Bottom Pan or Pot with a lid.

Ingredients

  • 700 g boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs

For Marinade

  • ¼ cup full fat yogurt
  • 2 teaspoon lime juice
  • 2 teaspoon oil (any cooking oil with neutral flavor)
  • 2 teaspoon chopped ginger
  • 3 teaspoon chopped garlic substitute fresh ginger & garlic with 2 tablespoon store bought ginger-garlic paste
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder add as per taste, substitute paprika
  • 1.5 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder

To Grill the Chicken

  • 1 teaspoon oil to grease the grill pan
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter or oil for brushing on the chicken

To make Makhani Sauce

  • ¼ cup oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic for frying
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2- inch cinnamon sticks
  • 6 green cardamom pods
  • 2 black cardamoms pods
  • 2 tablespoon grated ginger and garlic or add 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes pureed in a blender substitute it with tinned or canned tomatoes
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder add as per taste
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar add as per taste check out the notes
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Kasuri Methi slightly roast until aromatic, immediately remove and crush it to powder with your fingers
  • 1 teaspoon dill fronds or 2 teaspoon coriander leaves
  • ¼ cup heavy cream or double cream

Garnish

  • 2 tablespoon finely chopped, coriander leaves
  • a few Ginger juliennes
  • 1-2 tablespoon Pomegranate seeds

Instructions

Prepping the Ingredients

  • Blend the tomatoes and keep it aside. Grate the ginger and garlic (for Makhani sauce) and keep it aside. Skip this step if you are using store-bought ginger-garlic paste. Keep all the ingredients ready ready to make the recipe.

For Chicken Marinade

  • In a blender jar, add all the marinade ingredients and blend to make a fine paste. In a mixing bowl, combine chicken with the marinade. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator to marinate for an hour. Meanwhile, you can start preparing the Makhani sauce.

For Makhani Sauce

  • Heat a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add ¼ cup of oil.
  • When the oil is medium hot, add 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic. Cook it for 10 seconds. Switch off the heat. Remove pan from heat. Let the garlic cook in the residual heat.
  • When the garlic starts to brown around the edges, immediately remove garlic from oil with a slotted spoon and keep it in a small bowl or plate. Crispy garlic is ready. We will use it later. Do not overcook the garlic, it will taste bitter.
  • Return the pan with the oil to medium heat. Add whole spices, sauté until aromatic.
  • Add grated ginger and garlic, and cook until it is golden.
  • Stir in tomato puree, salt and Kashmiri red chili powder. Let it come to a rolling boil. Cover and cook it for 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir it in between as required. After 10 minutes, you can see oil floats on the surface means masala is cooked well.
  • Lower the heat. Add butter, combine and cook it for 5 minutes.
  • Add fried garlic, garam masala, sugar, cumin powder, Kasuri Methi, and dill fronds. Cover and cook it for 10 minutes. While the makhani sauce is simmering, grill the chicken.

For Grilled Chicken

  • Heat a grill pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot enough, place the marinated chicken over it. Do not overcrowd the pan. Let the chicken cook for a minute.
  • Brush it with melted butter or oil. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes or until char marks appear. Flip and cook on the other side for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove and keep it aside.

Finishing the Ruby Chicken Curry

  • With the help of tongs, remove the bay leaf and other whole spices.
  • Add the cooked chicken and cream. Stir to combine. The sauce was too thick; I added little water (2-3 tbsp) to adjust the consistency (optional). Do not add more water it will dilute flavors.
  • Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or until it comes to a gentle boil. Switch off the heat. Chicken Ruby is ready to serve.
  • Serve with Naan bread or steamed rice. Garnish with coriander leaves, pomegranate seeds and ginger julienne.

Video

Notes

  • Be careful while frying garlic. Heat oil, when the oil is hot, add garlic, stir and cook for 15 seconds and immediately remove the pan from heat. Let the garlic fry in the carry-over heat.
  • Marinate the chicken for at least an hour or overnight. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator to marinate. It makes the chicken tender and flavorful.
  • Do not start grilling the chicken taken out straight from the refrigerator. Let it rest on the kitchen counter until it reaches room temperature. Now start grilling the chicken.
  • Make sure the grill pan is hot enough that when you place the marinated chicken over it you hear a sizzling sound.
  • Do not overcrowd the grill pan. There should be some space between the chicken pieces. You can grill them in 2-3 batches depending on the size of the grill pan.
  • Tomatoes differ in tanginess. If tomatoes are sweet to taste reduce the quantity of sugar or add it as per your taste.
  • While adding cream lower the temperature or switch off the heat. Add cream stirring continuously until well combined. Now cook it on low heat until it gently simmers.
  • If you cook cream at high heat, it curdles.
  • The addition of water at the end to adjust the consistency is optional. The gravy was too thick for me, so I added water.
  • Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
  • Recipe Credit: I followed The Guardian’s post and a few youtube videos.
  • For Meal Prep:
      • Grill the chicken. Let it cool down to room temperature. Store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it. Stays good for 2 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to a month.
      • If you have leftover tandoori chicken, use that instead of making grilled chicken.
      • Prepare the Makhani sauce up to the step where you add fried garlic, garam masala, sugar, cumin powder, Kasuri Methi, and dill fronds. Cover and cook it for 10 minutes. Let it cool down to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Stays good for 2 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to a month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
      • Whenever you want to make the curry, combine the Makhani sauce, chicken, and cream in a heavy-bottom pan. Heat it for 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves, pomegranate seeds, and ginger julienne, and serve.
  • Storing & Reheating:
      • To store the leftovers: If you are planning to store this Dishooms chicken curry then store it within 2 hours of cooking. Let the curry cool down to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. It stays good for 2 days.
      • Freezing - Allow the dish to cool down to room temperature. Transfer it to a freezer-safe airtight container and refrigerate. It stays good for a month.
      • Labeling- Always label the container with the date when you stored the curry. This helps you keep track of its freshness.
      • Thawing - Thaw the frozen curry in the refrigerator overnight.
      • Reheating - You can reheat it either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Sprinkle some water over it, stir, and heat it at low heat until it starts to bubble or reaches the internal temperature of 165°F (74°C

Nutrition

Calories: 630kcal