Apple & Blackberry Crumble
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Cornish Butter Chicken Curry with Spiced Pilau Rice
August 28, 2025
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Juicy chicken thighs, slow-cooked in plenty of butter, aromatic spices, and sweet peppers – finished with a silky swirl of Trewithen Cornish clotted cream for the ultimate velvety sauce. Served with fragrant pilau rice studded with sultanas, flaked almonds, and crispy onions… its butter chicken, but with a Cornish twist.
Recipe by James Strawbridge.
Cornish Butter Chicken Curry with Spiced Pilau Rice
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 mins Prep Time: 45 mins Prep Time: 1 hrMethod
Step 1
Cook the chicken: In a large pan, melt all the butter over medium heat. Stir in the curry powder, tandoori spice, curry leaves, and fenugreek seeds until fragrant. Add the chicken thighs and cook until golden brown and caramelised on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 2
Fry the vegetables: In the same pan, add the onions and peppers. Cook until softened and slightly charred at the edges.
Step 3
Combine: Return the chicken to the pan. Pour over the curry sauce, season to taste, and stir through the clotted cream. Reduce the heat and let the curry simmer gently while you prepare the rice.
Step 4
Make the pilau rice: In a saucepan, heat a drizzle of oil. Add the tumeric and whole spices, toasting briefly until aromatic. Stir in the rice, then add the correct amount of water (according to packet instructions). Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer until tender.
Step 5
Finish the rice: Once cooked, fluff the rice with a fork and stir through flaked almonds, sultanas, and crispy onions.
Step 6
Serve: Spoon the pilau rice onto plates, top with generous helpings of the butter chicken, and garnish with fresh coriander.
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Ingredients
For the chicken curry:
- 6-8 boneless chicken thighs
- 2 onions, roughly diced
- 2 peppers, roughly diced
- 200g Trewithen salted butter
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp tandoori spice mix
- 1 tsp curry leaves (dried or fresh)
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 jar (approx 350-400g) curry sauce of your choice
- 2 heaped tbsp Trewithen Cornish clotted cream
- Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh coriander, chopped (to garnish)
For the pilau rice:
- 300g basmati rice, rinsed
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 2 tsp mixed whole spices (cardamom pods, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves)
- Flaked almonds, to serve
- Sultanas, to serve
- Crispy fried onions, to serve
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