Butter Chicken

Restaurant Style Butter Chicken

Butter chicken or Murg Makhani is a chicken dish prepared in mildly spiced but thick and creamy curry. A proud Indian chicken dish cooked in rich tomato gravy with tender boneless chicken cubes or juicy chicken pieces with bone.

An Iconic Dish

It’s actually a fact that this dish was invented and developed by our very own Delhi based Moti Mahal Restaurant. A curry developed to save their leftover tandoori chicken, became an iconic chicken dish. Chicken is marinated for several hours in a yogurt spice mixture and then cooked over a Tandoor (traditional clay oven) and then dipped in a smooth, silky, buttery and creamy tomato based gravy.

When originally it’s prepared and cooked in a tandoor, to save on time one can also grill it or pan-roast it. And a chicken enameled with the spices like tandoori masala, ginger, garlic, chilli and lime juice is then left to soak in a rich sweet and tangy red curry.

A Dish you fall in Love with…

You’ll hardly find any one not only in Delhi but across borders, who has tasted this creamy delight and has not fallen in love with it. As a teenager we were literally addicted to Butter Chicken. A weekend treat would invariably be a serving of Butter chicken from our favorite restaurant. Ideally it goes well with anything on its side. Rice, roti, tandoori roti, khamiri/Fermented Roti , Butter Naan or plain Naan .

I have very fond memories of our lovely time spent on the Dinner Table with my family. The chit chats and good food on the table is truly Bliss.

Fond Memories…..

Especially around the big Family dinners, one thing which was a fix on the menu was always Butter Chicken. I still remember and till today even if we finished the chicken pieces, the leftover gravy stored in the fridge was a potent reason of fights as to who shall get the gravy and sharing it was a reason of deep sorrow.

There was no way I was not trying this recipe and make it my own. With so many memories, this recipe is even more close to my heart.

Butter Chicken

The famous Indian Butter Chicken from your favorite restaurant in your own Kitchen.The silky smooth makhani gravy with pan roasted chicken.

Course easy, Main Dish

Cuisine indian

Keyword Chicken

Servings 6 people

Prep Time 20 minues

Cook Time 20 minutes

Passive Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

For Marinade:

• 2 tbsp Chicken Tandoori Masala
• 2 tbsp ginger / ginger paste
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp rock salt
• 1 cup hung curd 1 cup= 200 ml
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 8 pieces chicken lollipops

For the Gravy

• 3 Tomatoes medium sized
• 1 tsp ginger / ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 tbsp Desi Ghee/ Clarified Butter/Oil
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardomom
• 2 pcks tomato puree 400 ml
• 1/4 cup Tomato ketchup 1 cup=200ml
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 150 ml cream plus little for drizzling on top
• 4 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red chilli powder /degi mirch Degi Mirch is less spicy and has color added
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp kasoori methi /Fenugreek leaves dried fenugreek leaves

Instructions

Marination

1. : In a bowl, take the chicken pieces ,lemon juice,ginger garlic paste,salt and tandoori masala.Keep aside for 10 minutes. Then add the hung curd and coat the chicken well with it and keep aside for 5 more minutes.
2. If you have more time at hand, leave the chicken marinated for 2 hours.

Preparation of gravy

1. Pressure cook 3 tomatoes till 3 whistles .cool ,puree and sieve. Keep aside

Cooking the Gravy

1. In a deep pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and add the onions and ginger garlic paste. Cook till golden brown. Remove from heat and grind to paste .
2. In the same pan, heat ghee again and add the green cardamom, Bay leaf, cinnamon .Let it splutter for 2 seconds and add the onion paste. Now, immediately add the salt, red chilli powder,coriander powder and a little water about 1/4th cup and cook on simmer till oil separates. Add the pureed tomatoes and cook again till oil separates.
3. Add the tomato puree and ketchup. Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile in another pan, add 1 tbsp. ghee and add the marinated chicken and cook on high flame till cooked and roasted with a nice golden color. Keep stirring to avoid sticking at the bottom.
5. If the masala starts to burn, reduce the flame to medium and sprinkle a dash of water.
6. Add this pan roasted chicken once done to the gravy and cover and cook for 5 minutes so that the chicken soaks into the curry well.
7. Add Garam masala and milk and keep stirring. Remember to stir as it’ll save the milk from curdling.
8. Add the cream and kasoori methi . mix well. Let the flame be on simmer all this while and bring to a boil.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with butter naan / Tandoori Roti/Rice or parantha.