1-Marinate Chicken: Begin by marinating the chicken pieces with lemon juice, chili powder, and salt for 20 minutes. Then, add yogurt, kasuri methi, oil, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, or ideally overnight for 12-48 hours, to enhance the flavor and tenderness.

2-Prepare Sauce Base: If you’re using onions, sauté them in oil until lightly golden and let them cool. Blend the tomatoes, sautéed onions if included, soaked cashews, and ½ cup water into a smooth puree. For a nut-free option, blend cashews separately with water to make a cashew cream substitute.

3-Cook Sauce Base: Melt butter or ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add optional whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, along with ginger garlic paste and green chilies; fry until fragrant. Turn off the heat, stir in Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, cumin, and coriander powder, then add the tomato-cashew puree and strain if needed for smoothness.

4-Simmer Sauce: Cook the sauce covered on medium heat until it thickens, then add 1½ cups hot water (or 1 cup if skipping cashews). Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens further and shows butter traces on top. Remove any whole spices before proceeding.

5-Cook Chicken: Bring the marinated chicken to room temperature and grill or pan-fry it with butter or ghee on medium heat until mostly cooked and the marinade dries up, taking care not to overcook or burn it.

6-Combine & Finish: Add the cooked chicken to the simmering sauce and adjust the thickness with extra hot water if needed. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until the chicken is tender, then season with salt, sugar, and kasuri methi. Stir in heavy cream just before serving and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.