Butter Chicken (also known as Murgh Makhani) is a dish you often see on the menu of restaurants, originating from Delhi in India with firm roots in Punjabi cuisine, it has become renowned all over the world for being one of the most loved dishes. There are so many variations and recipes for this dish, every household has their own unique way of cooking it and indeed over time, I have developed my own method which I have tested on my immediate and extended family. My nephew especially enjoys this dish and even puts in a special request when he visits!

I always say that frying ingredients (whether meat, chicken or fish) before adding to a masala (curry base) adds a very different taste/texture to the finished dish. It’s the reason why I fry my marinated chicken pieces beforehand for my Bengali Roast Chicken, the overall taste of the dish is elevated and tastes different to just adding in raw chicken to the masala. Butter Chicken works in a similar manner, partly cooked chicken which has been marinated in spices and sometimes yoghurt/lemon juice is then added to the masala and cooked through.

I find that when I cook a whole chicken in a curry my children don’t eat the breast pieces, like me they much prefer the taste of boned chicken (which is much more tender) and pick those out and leave the breast pieces! So to avoid wastage I normally separate my chicken breasts from the boned pieces and use the breasts specifically for other dishes like my Chicken Pakoras, Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Pie and this Butter Chicken, when cooked in these dishes my kids love it. If there are only breast pieces in the dish, they have no choice but to eat them, lol!

It does mean I have to remove some small bones beforehand which I don’t mind, if you want to save on time, just use boneless chicken to start off with. If you have time and want extra tender chicken pieces, marinate the chicken overnight using the ingredients shown below and add 2 – 3 tablespoons of yoghurt. The yoghurt helps break down the collagen and makes the chicken very tender, then continue with the recipe as shown.

I find using canned tomatoes for the masala is the best option, they help to give the finished dish the bright orange/red colour that is associated with Butter Chicken. You may choose to use fresh tomatoes if you prefer, just be mindful of the fact that it will make your curry less appealing unless you add additional food colouring or extra chilli powder. Using Kashmiri chilli powder in place of normal chilli powder will also help your curry achieve a richer deeper colour.

Needless to say you should use the best butter you can find since this dish is all about the butter, bout the butter, no ghee-ee! Lol!! I’m using Anchor butter but you may use whatever butter you enjoy eating and find tasty. The masala to this curry should be velvety smooth, which is why it’s important to add plenty of butter and cream to achieve that. Cooking the onions, garlic and ginger through prior to blending is also important, the last thing you want is a masala that tastes raw.

If there’s anything else I have forgotten to mention, you’ll find it covered down below, so let’s get cooking our finger licking Butter Chicken!

Serves 6 – 8

You will need: for Butter Chicken Murgh Makhani

For the marinade:
700g – 800g chicken breast OR boneless chicken
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
2 – 3 tbsp yoghurt (optional, for overnight marination, if you want extra tender chicken)

For the masala:
100g butter
3 tbsp oil
2 medium onions
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1.5 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
4 green chillies
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 – 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (adjust to taste depending on how much heat you want)
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
1/2 can choppped tomatoes
water (as needed)
4 tbsp double cream (plus extra for garnishing)
50g extra butter (optional)

Method:

Before handling the chicken, it’s a good idea to measure the spices needed to avoid soiling the jars.

The spices for the marinade (bottom left photo): 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp minced ginger and 1 tsp minced garlic.

The spices for the masala base: 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 – 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala and 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (methi).

If you are using chicken breasts from a whole chicken ensure you remove all the bones, then cube the chicken as shown (top left photo).

Add 1 tbsp of lemon juice, followed by the spices; 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp minced ginger and 1 tsp minced garlic.

Mix everything and leave to marinate whilst you prepare the masala.

Peel and slice 2 medium onions.

In a large pan, add 100g of butter along with 3 tbsp of oil.

Once the butter has melted and the oil is hot, add the sliced onions….

….followed by 1 tsp of minced garlic, 1 tsp of minced ginger and 1.5 tsp of salt (this can be adjusted later if needed).

Cover the saucepan and let the onions cook until soft, approximately 10 – 15 mins.

In the meantime roughly chop 4 green chillies.

Once the onions look translucent and soft, add the spices:  1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 – 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (adjust to taste), 1/2 tsp garam masala and 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (methi).

Mix the spices and fry for a couple of minutes and then cover to cook through for a few more minutes, we want the onions to be soft and cooked well.

Next add 1/2 a can of chopped tomatoes, followed by the roughly chopped green chillies.

Add a splash of water to loosen the masala if it feels dry to prevent it from burning.

Cover and cook for 5 – 8 minutes till the tomatoes are cooked and soft.

Once the tomatoes look like the top left photo, transfer the masala preparation to a heatproof jug or container that will be able to fit a handheld blender in.

Blend the masala until it is completely smooth and there are no lumps, if you find this difficult add a little water to help/ If you don’t own a handheld blender, blend the masala in a standard blender.

Leave the pureed masala to one side whilst you fry the marinated chicken pieces.

Add a little extra oil in the saucepan you used to cook the masala and fry the chicken pieces for several minutes either side in batches until golden on the outside, you don’t have to cook them through completely.

Transfer to a dish and repeat the process until all the chicken has been gently fried.

Once the chicken pieces are ready, pour them back into the saucepan, along with any juices that may have gathered in the bottom of the dish….

….followed by the pureed masala, rinse out the container using a little water to get it all out.

Mix the chicken pieces with the masala, I felt my sauce was a little too thick so added 3/4 of a glass of water to loosen.

Cover the saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, this will help the chicken to cook through and the sauce to thicken to a smooth consistency. Gently boil for 10 minutes.

During the last 5 minutes of boiling you want to add 4 tbsp of double cream, you may add more if you want the sauce richer and creamier but remember, the more cream you add, the less vibrant the colour will be.

If like me you want to be able to really savour the rich buttery taste of this curry, add an additional 50g of butter as you remove the curry from the heat and stir through to melt.

Garnish the butter chicken before serving by pouring some additional cream over the top. Best served with a flat bread (like naan) or a simple rice dish like this Jeera Pilau or just plain basmati rice.

Bon Appetit!

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