Easy Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani ) Recipe

Butter chicken is a traditional North Indian dish that is creamy, rich and packed with aromatic spices and flavours.

Butter chicken or murgh makhani is believed to have originated in a restaurant as a means to use up leftover Tandoori chicken.

The tomato gravy, butter and cream prove to be a delicious way to soften the leftover chicken and keep it from drying out. Like all Indian dishes there are countless versions, with nuanced variations.

 Today I am going to share my favourite recipe for this popular Punjabi classic

Ingredients:

500 Chicken thighs (strips)

(For marination)

1/4 cup Yogurt

1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Garam masala

1 tsp Kashmiri Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

(For Gravy or sauce)

2 tbsp Butter

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 Cardamom pod

1 Bay leaf

4 Cloves

2 Green chillies

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 Onion

4 medium sizeTomatoes

8-10 Cashew

1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste

1 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red chilli powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 1/2 tsp Garam masala

1 tsp Sugar

1/4 cup Heavy cream

1/2 tbsp Fenugreek 

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with ginger garlic paste, garam masala, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, Kashmiri red chilli powder  and yogurt.(Marinate overnight) 

2. Place the marinated chicken on skewers and broil in oven for 15 minutes.

(If oven is not available then you can shallow fry the marinated chicken in a pan)

3. In a pan combine butter and oil on medium flame until the butter melts then add in cumin seeds, cardamom pod, bay leaf, cloves ,green chillies and turmeric powder.

4. Add chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes until it's slightly Brown. Then add ginger garlic paste and cook for another minute.

5. Finally add all the spices and stir until well combined.

6. Add tomatoes and cashews and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the tomatoes are a deep red colour and the cashews are soft.

7. Transfer the spiced Tomato mixture into a high speed blender. Add half cup of water and blitz until completely smooth.

8. Pour the smooth gravy back into the pot add more butter, then sugar and finally the cooked chicken. Cook on low with the lead on for 10 minutes. Finally stir in heavy cream and fenugreek.

9. Here we go!! Delicious, creamy butter chicken is ready. You can serve your butter chicken with jeera rice onion kulcha naan roti and paratha.