This is my 99^th post and I’m so happy to be heading towards hitting a century!!….Keep guessing what could be my 100th post!!…Moving on to today’s recipe for Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani.

It is quite amazing that sometimes we predict the taste of a particular dish even before cooking, just by looking at the ingredients that go into it. You want all the spices to play around and do the magic to get that wow effect!! Finally you feel the end result is worth the wait. This was exactly my feeling when I started with Tandoori Chicken and ended with this dish. So my dear friends, today I’m going to share a slightly healthier but decadent and creamy version of your favourite Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani.

There’s no doubt that Kundan Lal Gujral did invent the Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani. He did it basically to save money. As the restaurant Moti Mahal run by him became more and more crowded, his cooks started putting chickens in the oven even before the orders came in so that guests would not have to wait too long. This approach led to a certain number of left-over chickens at the end of each day’s service. Gujral had the cunning idea of rehydrating the chickens by cutting them up and putting them in a sauce. His masterstroke was the sauce. He combined tomato, cream and butter to create a gravy, which was so rich that even yesterday’s chicken would not seem stale once it was drowned in it.

Btw… If you are wondering who this Kundan Lal Gujral is, click here. You might have missed out my post on Tandoori Chicken.

Later, the recipe for Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani was sophisticated so that the dish is no longer made with left-overs. The leftover dish appealed to Delhites and was quickly lapped up by the rest of the world. Ever since, Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani has received rave reviews from some of the best food critics around the world. Till date Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani is highly in demand at the Indian restaurants around the globe.

If you really opt for the rich creamy buttery version of Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani, well, you may have to hit the gym a little longer next day. The beauty of this recipe is that it can be as decadent or as healthy as you choose. Choice is yours!!

So folks, what you waiting for? Tie you aprons and get ready to transport yourself to Punjab with this creamy, dreamy delight of Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani!!!

Step-by-Step process in making Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani:

This recipe for Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani is prepared in two parts:

Making tandoori chicken
To sauté and puree some ingredients, which forms the base for the gravy
Adding tandoori chicken to the tomato gravy

1. Making tandoori chicken to prepare Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani:

NOTE: You can prepare the tandoori chicken a day advance or can also use leftover tandoori chicken for this gravy. To have the recipe for Tandoori Chicken, click here.

I have used full chicken thighs for grilling, so I cut them into small pieces.
You can also grill small pieces of chicken and add them directly.

2. To Sauté and Puree:

Heat oil (or mix of oil and butter) in a skillet over medium heat.
Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and mace.
Let it sizzle for a minute till you get a nice aroma.

Add chopped onions and sauté till translucent.

Now add chopped tomatoes.
Cook it over medium heat till it become.

To this add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 2 minutes.

Now add all the powders one by one. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, cashews and almonds(if including).
Stir for 2 minutes and turn off the heat.

Once the mixture cools down, puree it.
This for the base for the gravy to make Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani.

3. Adding tandoori chicken to the tomato gravy to prepare Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani:

For the gravy, heat butter in a pan (you can use the same pan like me), add the puree from the above step.
Sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes on low heat till the raw smell disappears from the gravy.

Add cooked tandoori chicken pieces to the gravy and cook it for 3 to 5 minutes.
Adjust consistency of the gravy with water to suite your requirement and give it a boil.
Add garam masala and a teaspoon of sugar or honey. Turn off the heat.
After this step, I divided the Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani into 2 parts, out of which I have added cream to only one part.

To one half of the Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani, add Cream and cook it over medium heat for a minute.
You can also add cream to the whole gravy.

Finally add crushed fenugreek leaves (optional) and mix it.
Garnish with coriander.
The addition of fenugreek leaves gives a very unique flavour and aroma to the Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani.

Turn off the heat and transfer to serving bowl.
Serve Butter Chicken Or Murgh Makhani with roti, paratha, butter naan or any Indian breads.
It also pairs well with plain basmati rice or any Pulao.

NOTE: Of the two versions you see in the photos, the lighter one is with the cream.

Print Recipe

Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani

Butter chicken or murgh makhani is an authentic and flavourful recipe in Indian cuisine where tandoori chicken is cooked in a rich creamy tomato based gravy.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Main/Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4 to 6

Author: Padma

Ingredients

To saute and puree:
2 Tablespoons oil or 1 Tablespoon each oil and butter
1 inch cinnamon
2 to 3 cloves
1 to 2 cardamoms
Little bit mace
2 medium sized Onions diced
3 to 4 Tomatoes diced
2 Green Chillies broken into two halves
1 Tablespoon ginger garlic paste
2 teaspoons Red Chilli Powder
2 teaspoons Coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
6 to 10 cashews
5 to 8 Almonds optional
For Gravy:
1 Tablespoon butter
The puree prepared
2 cooked tandoori chicken thighs Check here for the recipe, cut into pieces
1/2 cup fresh cream
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
¼ Kasoori methi / Dried fenugreek leaves optional
2 Tablespoons finely chopped Coriander for garnish

Instructions

Heat oil (or oil and butter) in a skillet over medium heat, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and mace. Sauté till you get a nice aroma.
Add chopped onions and sauté till translucent. Now add tomatoes, cook it in medium heat till it become soft and pulp with bright red colour.
To this add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 2 minutes.
Now add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, cashews and almonds(if including). Stir for a minute and turn off the heat.
Once the mixture cools down, puree it.
For the gravy, heat butter in a pan (you can use the same pan), add the puree from the above step.
Strain the tomato puree directly to the butter mixture and mix well. Discard the reduce from the tomato puree.
Sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes on low heat till the raw smell disappears from the gravy.
Add cooked tandoori chicken pieces to the gravy and cook it for 3 to 5 minutes.
Adjust consistency with water to suit your requirement and give it a boil.
Add cream, garam masala, sugar or honey and cook for a minute.
Finally add crushed fenugreek leaves and mix it. This step is optional.
Turn off the heat and transfer to serving bowl.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve with butter naan, roti, paratha or any Indian breads.

Notes

1. Adjust spice levels to suit your taste buds.
2. Keep in mind that the Tandoori chicken also has spices and salt, so add your spices and salt accordingly.
3. If you really want to get that restaurant red colour, go ahead and add some food colour but I don’t prefer adding it.
4. Addition of sugar or honey balances salty, sour and acidic flavours.
5. Quantities of butter and cream are purely optional. You can even skip them and it still taste’s great, trust me!!
6. The prep time does not include preparing tandoori chicken.

Happy Cooking 🙂

Cheers!!

Padma.