Chicken Lababdar

About this recipe

Lababdar is restaurant cooking at its most luxurious—tomatoes and onions cooked down separately, then combined with cubed chicken to create a sauce with distinct layers of flavour. Cashews ground into a paste add nuttiness and richness, while khoya (if you choose to use it) adds a subtle sweetness. Cream comes only at the very end, a finishing touch that turns the whole thing silken and shiny rather than dominating the flavour. This is the kind of dish you order at celebrations, and now you can make it at home. The hero ingredients are the tomatoes and onions (cooked separately so their flavours remain distinct), the cashew paste (which adds richness and body), and optionally the khoya (which adds subtle sweetness). Kashmiri chilli powder colours the whole thing a deep coral red, while garam masala and kasuri methi provide the finishing touches. This is mild-to-medium spice, creamy without being heavy, with depths that reveal themselves as you eat. The technique requires patience and precision. Boil your tomatoes, onions, and soaked cashews together for 8 minutes, cool, then blend to a silky paste—this creates a unified, silken base without cooking the flavours away. Brown your marinated chicken quickly in oil to lock in juices, then set aside. In the same pan, melt butter, add ginger-garlic paste and remaining chilli powder, then pour in the tomato-cashew paste. Gently bubble for 8 minutes until the oil rises and the colour turns a beautiful coral red. Return the chicken, gently bubble for 15 minutes, then stir in khoya (if using) and cream. Finish with kasuri methi and garam masala. Serve with naan or roomali roti. This is special-occasion cooking that tastes luxurious. Store in the fridge for three days.