Butter chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, is a popular Indian dish made with succulent pieces of chicken cooked in a creamy tomato-based sauce. Here's a recipe for making butter chicken at home:
Ingredients for Marination:
- 500g boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
Ingredients for Gravy:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 3-4 green cardamom pods
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 1-inch cinnamon stick
- 2-3 cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2-3 green chilies, finely chopped
- 3-4 large tomatoes, pureed
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions:
1. Marinate the chicken pieces in yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken to the pan and cook until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of oil. Add bay leaf, green cardamom pods, black cardamom pod, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cumin seeds to the pan. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until the spices release their aroma.
4. Add finely chopped onion to the pan and cook until translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilies to the pan and sauté for a minute or two.
5. Add pureed tomatoes to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the mixture thickens and the oil separates.
6. Add red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for another minute.
7. Add the cooked chicken to the pan and mix everything together. Add heavy cream and kasuri methi to the pan and mix well. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the gravy thickens to your desired consistency.
8. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with naan bread or steamed rice.
Enjoy your delicious homemade butter chicken!
