Creamy, tangy and rich tomato sauce gravy coats the marinated and fried chicken pieces to become this indulgence of Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani, that is a favorite among any who loves a good Chicken curry.
Butter Chicken is typically one of those dishes that you don’t make that often at home but is much looked forward to and ordered whenever you to to a restaurant.
The rich tomato base or the makhani sauce is made so with cashews ground together with the onion and tomatoes and the addition of cream towards the end. The heady yet not overpowering fragrance of dried fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi is a signature tell tale of this dish.
The secret to making a good Butter Chicken is to be patient and not to skimp on the butter, cashew and cream. The onions and tomatoes need to be cooked slowly in the butter along with the spices to become nice and soft themselves before being ground to a creamy paste. The finishing touches of cream and kasuri methi seals the deal.
Here are some other chicken curries that are more of an every affair in this household.
To make Butter Chicken
- Cut the chicken breast into 1 inch pieces and marinate in garlic, ginger, cayenne, lime and salt for about 30 mins or so.
- Heat the butter and oil together and add the chicken pieces to it.
- Fry on each side for about 2 mins each, till the chicken appears to be mostly cooked. Drain and keep aside.
- Heat the 2 tablespoon butter in the same pan that we fried the chicken, along with any leftover fat in it and add the onion, turmeric powder and kashmiri chilli powder to it. Saute till the onions are soft.
- Add the tomatoes, cashew nuts, garam masala powder, green chilli and salt.
- saute till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
- Switch off heat and let it cool down for a few minutes. Grind to a smooth puree in a blender.
- Bring this back to the pan and let it almost come to a boil. Add maybe a ¼ cup of water, if it it too thick.
- Add sugar and the chicken pieces to it. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Switch off the heat and add the heavy cream and sprinkle the kasuri methi over on top and mix well before serving.
Note: If you don’t get or have Kashmiri Chilli Powder, you can substitute with Cayenne Powder but reduce the quantity to half.
Butter Chicken - Murgh Makhani
Ingredients
- To Marinate and Fry the Chicken:
- about 1 ½ lbs chicken breast , boneless and skinless
- ½ teaspoon crushed garlic , about 3 pods
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- juice from ½ lime
- salt to taste
- 2 oz or 1 /2 stick of unsalted butter
- ¼ cup sunflower oil
- For the Makhani Sauce Base:
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ red onion , chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder ( this has less heat but has a prominent red color)
- 2 roma tomatoes , chopped
- 3 tablespoon cashew nuts , soaked in water
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 Thai green chilli / serrano pepper , roughly chopped ( you can skip this if it might get too hot)
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ⅓ cup heavy cream ( or use half cream and half whole milk)
- 2 tablespoon kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast into 1 inch pieces and marinate in garlic, ginger, cayenne, lime and salt for about 30 mins or so.
- Heat the butter and oil together and add the chicken pieces to it. Fry on each side for about 2 mins each, till the chicken appears to be mostly cooked. Drain and keep aside.
- To make the Makhani sauce, heat the 2 tablespoon butter in the same pan that we fried the chicken, along with any leftover fat in it and add the onion, turmeric powder and kashmiri chilli powder to it. Saute till the onions are soft. Add the tomatoes, cashew nuts, garam amsala powder, green chilli and salt and saute till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
- Switch off heat and let it cool down for a few minutes. Grind to a smooth puree in a blender.
- Bring this back to the pan and let it almost come to a boil. Add maybe a ¼ cup of water, if it it too thick. Add sugar and the chicken pieces to it. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Switch off the heat and add the heavy cream and sprinkle the kasuri methi over on top and mix well before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade says
I had butter chicken at an Indian restaurant and it was amazing. I've got to try to make this recipe, because it looks pretty simple. And who doesn't like a recipe with lots of butter?! Thank you for sharing
Manju says
Thank you Karyl! I'm sure you will love it ?
Aish Das-Padihari says
Loved your butter chicken recipe and how you have included step by step pics. My kids will like this a lot. I will try it and let you know.
Alicia Taylor says
I love your step-by-step photography. It really makes this dish look doable! I think my hubby would love this one.
Manju says
This is, honestly, one of the easier chicken Curries that you can make! I hope you try it! Thank you! ?
Fred says
Amazing looking meal with lots of the kinds of spices I love so I'm sure it'll taste real delish! Thanks for sharing!
Manju says
Thank you for the comment Fred. I really appreciate it!
Gillian Thompson says
These pictures are making me salivate. My favourite curry of all time, the kid's too. I'll be pinning this to make very soon. Thanks so much.
Nicole says
I love butter chicken! I've never made it with cashew nuts before, I have to try this, thanks.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says
I love experimenting with Indian foods. This sounds delicious. Love all the warm spices. Perfect to make a big batch...and the leftovers would be great.
Manju says
You said it right. This is perfect to make a big batch and the leftovers taste better! ?
Marie-Pierre Breton says
I'm sooo nuts for Indian Food! This butter chicken sounds so great, I could eat it every single day if only it wouldn't be this caloric... Love love love this recipe!
Amy says
This butter chicken sounds really wonderful and I love that you included step-by-step photos of your process! Can't wait to try this!
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed says
I adore butter chicken and it's my favourite treat, now I can make it at home. What a beautiful colour the sauce is, I'll be on the look out for some kashmiri chilli powder. Beautiful photography 🙂
Elizabeth says
This looks like the PERFECT butter chicken! Oh my goodness, I need this recipe in my life! Yum!
Manju says
Thank you Elizabeth!
Anamikafoodie says
Hi Manju. Your chicken is looking very delicious. I also make it frequently because my hubby loves it so much. The only difference between our recipes are the way, we add onion and tomato. I use onion and tomato paste instead of chopped tomato and onion. I can feel the creamy taste of your chicken. No doubt it is very yummy. Nice recipe.
Diane says
I think it is unfortunate that people rate this dish before making it, even if they are good. I, however, made it and it is excellent. Very tasty and not too spicy.
Jf says
Unlike most of those posting I made the recipe. It was very good. It needed a bit of thickening so I added a small can of tomato paste. That was the perfect consistency.
Chris W says
this came out great! only change I did was skewering my chicken to put on the grill after frying in the pan. wanted to give it a bit of a grilled texture before mixing back into the sauce.
Ameet says
Marination is incomplete without besan, curd and some mustard oil...heat mustard oil and when it is hot switch off flame add besan and bhuno it for a minute, add Kashmiri Lal mirch and again mix.. add this to chicken along with curd, a little chaat masala and ginger garlic paste etc...deep freeze for 30 mins. Another thing - add home made MALAI ..not amul cream when making gravy...and your dish reaches another dimension in taste..
Manju says
I have never heard of using besan in the marinade and I personally dont like mustard oil. But those suggestions definitely are interesting for anyone to try. Thanks for sharing them here. I dont use Amul cream, never have. I agree, good malai does make a difference. Again, thank you for taking the time to write these down.