Visit India and you are bound to have this mildly spiced curry called Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani. It is undoubtedly one of the most popular Indian dishes across the world too.
The flavor comes from the use of spices and the rich and creamy tomato sauce.
I have seen different variants to the dish. Some where the creamy sauce is cooked with tandoori chicken(i.e the chicken is grilled/cooked before adding to the tomato sauce) and some, where boneless chicken is added to the sauce and cooked along with it. But, I took Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s never-failing recipe! And I’m glad with the result.
- 300 gm Boneless Chicken
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 2 tbsp butter
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup Yogurt
- 2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garama Masala Powder
- 1 tsp oil any
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 pieces Clove
- 2 pieces Green Cardamon
- 1 inch piece Cinnamon stick
- 2 Peppercorns
- 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
- 1/2 cup Pureed Tomato
- 1/2 cup water room temperature
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp Sugar you can omit if you do not like the gravy too sweet
- 1/2 tsp Kastoori Methi or Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- 1/2 cup Fresh Cream
- Cut the boneless chicken into bite-sized pieces. For the first marinade, apply lemon juice and salt on them. Refrigerate for about 30 mins.
- For the second marinade, apply a mixture of yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, little more salt and oil. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- You can grill them in an oven on skewers or on a grill pan, till almost done.
- Heat butter in a pan, add cardamon, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon. Once it splutters, add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a couple of mins.
- Add tomato puree, red chilli powder, salt and half cup of water. Cook for a couple of mins, till it comes to a boil.
- Simmer and allow the mixture to reduce. Another ten mins will suffice. Add sugar(if using) and kastoori methi. Mix well.
- Add the tandoor pieces (you can also shred them before adding, if you do not like chunks). Mix again.
- Add fresh cream. Mix again and remove from heat immediately.
- Garnish with a spoonful of fresh cream and serve hot with Indian Flatbread or Rice.
To puree the tomato, take about 5-6 medium tomatoes and boil and cook in water. Peel off and once cooled, blend them in a mixer to get the puree.
You can directly blend raw tomatoes, but will have to cook the puree for some more time though.
I’m participating in the #AtoZChallenge and I’m posting 26 easy Chicken Recipes making your mouths water and tempting you to cook up a storm! My sole aim is to make my husband miss my food (and me of course) as he is away since nine months. Perks of being an Army Officer!
I hope you come back again tomorrow!
Meanwhile, here are 26 Army Wife stories to read on my Tomato Blog!
I’m on co-host Pam’s Unconventional Alliance Team along with Parul from Happiness and Food, Rajlakshmi from The Twinkle Eyed Traveler and Destiny’s Child and Claire from A Field Trip Life
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I might’ve liked that in the days before I was kosher or vegetarian. I wonder if there’s a vegetarian or vegan equivalent, like something with nutritional yeast, soft tofu, and tempeh, though the taste probably wouldn’t be nearly the same. I do love Indian food, though.
My favourite chicken dish!! I roast it and then add to the gravy just as you mention Much better i feel.
Reading this blog is making me hungry!!
@yenforblue from
Spice of Life!
One recipe that we make at home, and also take away from restaurants. 🙂 so I know how yummy it is. 😀 and I guessed this before too.
I find butter chicken one of the best chicken dishes :). And must say the fantastic pics you have put up are making me hungry even at 11:35 here at night :P.
Yay, Aseem! 🙂
Thanks very much for your kind words.
Aah! This is looking so rich and yummmmmmm…. it’s one of the favourite chicken dish for my boys!
Yeah, noticed that kids love Butter Chicken more. May be it is not spicy! 🙂
Thanks, Shilpa.
I absolutely love butter chicken. But in some places they make it really sweet 🙁
I’ll be sharing this recipe with my mother so that the next time I visit, I’ll have it 🙂
P.S: I love your photography skills.
Thanks very much, Soumya.
Amateur in photography. Trying to learn! 🙂
Everything is so much more better with butter! This has been one of my favorite dishes but I have been too scared to try it out for some reason. Your recipe makes it sound quite easy. Thank you!
Me too. The scary part is of course when you add cream. Make sure you remove from heat before you add it. Else it will curdle. 🙂
Shalini each post of yours just makes me feel hungry and crave for chicken 😀
I am glad I could do that to you 😛
It looks so yummy!! I’ve never made it myself…but will follow your recipe.
Please try, Bhavya. Let me know how it turns out for you. 🙂
This is how my mom also makes BB. Since I’m still with my parents, I never had the privilege to do all this my own. One day, for sure!
You definitely should 🙂
May that day come soon.
Ohh yumm!!! Superlike
Thanks, fellow foodie! So glad to have found your blog through AtoZ! 🙂
Hearing the word makes my mouth water..Because i love it so much. The sweet and tangy gravy can pair with anything and i love all recipes that have the base with this gravy.. I have a recipe for butter chicken before..It is a easy way of making this recipe, but this recipe taste so much better than that. It taste similar to the one which we get in restaurants. That’s the only adjective that I could find of this lovely looking butter chicken. Looks simply droolworthy.
Thank you so very much 🙂
You know what? Maybe your blog Is going to home my one stop cook book. You know I’m not a lot into cooking but your simple choice of ingredients and simple was tempt me to try. Keep posting more and yes, who doesn’t love butter chicken 😉
Woot woot.. That’s the best thing I have heard. Thanks a lot, Parul.
Yum Yum! Noted this as well… At the end of the challenge, you can publish a chicken recipe book you know…
Great idea 🙂
Thanks, Stephen.
not a big fan of chicken, but would love to try this one. seems lip-smacking!
Thanks, Karan.
Yummy 🙂
@dixita011 from
Cafenined words
Thanks, Dixita. I will post some vegetarian dishes post challenge. 🙂
Ohh God that looks so delicious… I think I should head to the kitchen now.
🙂 Heeee… Thanks, Raj.
I usually marinate my butter chicken for 6 hours to over-night. But the rest of the recipe is similar. Your fantastic pictures have inspired me to make it tonight.
What a mouth-watering series this is turning out to be 😀
I do not have any patience at all, ME! Overnight sounds too long. 🙂
Your butter chicken sure looks yummy. Wishing I could eat it off the screen.
I must also commend you on your recipes. They are written well and clearly, and easy for even a novice cook.
Thanks very much, Cynthia. Means a lot.