Spicy Coconut Butter Chicken

• 2 lb chicken, cut into chunks2 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-size chunks
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt1/4 cup plain greek yogurt1/4 cup dairy-free yogurt1/4 cup dairy-free yogurt — plain, unsweetened works best for the marinade
• 6 cloves garlic, minced6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 2 tbsp grated ginger2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• about 5 tsp garam masala, divided5 tsp garam masala, divided
• 2 tsp cumin, divided2 tsp ground cumin, divided
• 1 tsp turmeric, divided1 tsp ground turmeric, divided
• 1-2 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste1 tsp cayenne pepper, divided
• kosher salt, to tastesalt, to taste
• black pepper, to tasteblack pepper, to taste
• a glug of olive oil2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp butter, divided4 tbsp salted butter, divided4 tbsp vegan butter, divided4 tbsp vegan butter, divided — or use a couple extra glugs of olive oil instead
• 1 large onion, chopped1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup tomato paste1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk1 can coconut milk, full-fat
• a big handful of cilantro, chopped1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• steamed rice, for servingjasmine rice, cooked, to taste
• naan, for servingnaan, to tastegluten-free naan, for servinggluten-free naan, to taste — or just serve it over rice and skip the bread

Steps

1. Toss the chicken with the yogurt, a third of the garlic and ginger, and the marinade share of garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Salt it and let it sit while you prep everything else.
2. Heat the oil in a big skillet over medium-high and sear the chicken until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of the butter, toss to coat, then move the chicken to a plate.
3. In the same pan, cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in two more tablespoons of butter, the rest of the garlic and ginger, the remaining garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne, plus the red pepper flakes. Season and cook until very fragrant.
4. Add the tomato paste and cook a few minutes until it darkens.
5. Turn the heat low, pour in a cup of water and the coconut milk, and simmer until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the last of the butter, and loosen with more coconut milk if it gets too thick.
6. Return the chicken and its juices, simmer until the sauce coats everything, then stir in the cilantro and adjust the salt.
7. Spoon over rice with naan alongside.