Butter Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons table salt, divided
• 1/2 cup ghee or vegetable oil
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled, divided
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 Tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon table salt, divided
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons butter for finishing
• 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided for garnish