Creamy, Luscious Restaurant Style Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani in a delectable silky sauce, perfect to go with Naan, Roti, or Rice …!!
Butter Chicken is one of the most popular Indian curries favored by people around the world. This mildly spiced creamy chicken curry is well suited for any occasions and served in all kinds of eateries; right from roadside dhabas to top end restaurants!
Being an exotic dish, preparing butter chicken is always an exciting cooking experience in my kitchen. The core ingredients which make this recipe stand out are; a generous portion of garam masala which lifts the masala flavors, and the use of Kashmiri chili powder which provides color and adequate heat, not making it too spicy either. I have modified the recipe slightly from the traditional take, but trust me… it doesn’t compromise the taste.
Tomatoes / Tomato puree: The creamy tomato-based sauce is another highlight of this recipe, and to prepare it I personally prefer to use tomato puree. You could instead make your own with medium sized ripe tomatoes, sautéed with onions, and then ground to make the thick sauce. One last extra step would be to then sieve the sauce through a strainer to make it silky smooth.
Serve this butter chicken with naan, roti (any flatbread), or rice, to make a perfect weeknight meal!
Interested in other Chicken Curry recipes? Check these out;
- Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
- Mughlai Chicken Curry
- Pepper Chicken
- Chicken Stew
- Chicken Ularthiyathu / Dry Roasted Chicken
Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!
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Creamy, Luscious Restaurant Style Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani in a delectable silky sauce, perfect to go with Naan, Roti, or Rice
- 1.5 lb chicken (pref. boneless, cut into small pieces)
- 1 tbsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp yogurt
- Salt (as required)
- 2-3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion (cut into small cubes)
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ inch sized ginger
- 15 oz can tomato puree (check notes)
- 1 tbsp kashmiri powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves, crushed)
- 1 cup milk cream
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 cup water
- Oil (as required)
- Salt (as required)
- Cilantro leaves (chopped, garnish)
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For the marination: Marinate chicken with the ingredients listed under marination for 30 minutes.
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Cook chicken: Pan fry chicken on both sides in little oil until they are tender.
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Prepare the gravy: Into the same pan, add 1-2 tbsp butter and when it starts melting, add onion, ginger, garlic and pinch of salt. Sauté until they turn translucent.
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Add the tomato puree and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Follow by adding kashmiri chili powder, garam masala and sauté for another 2 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool completely. Once cooled, blend into a fine paste.
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Pour the blended mix back into the pan and stir in low flame for 2 minutes.
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Add water and allow it to boil by closing the lid. Once the gravy starts boiling, add the cooked chicken pieces and mix well.
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Add milk cream, dried fenugreek leaves (crushed between your palm), and sugar. Stir and allow the gravy to bubble up in a low flame.
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Once the gravy starts boiling, simmer it for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and garnish with cilantro leaves. Top with 1 tbsp butter, cover the pan, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
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Serve with naan, chapathi or rice.
1. You can use fresh tomatoes instead of tomato puree; saute 4 tomatoes along with onions, then grind it into a thick paste, and finally sieve to make a fine silky-smooth paste.
2. Adjust the spice levels of this dish to your choice by adding regular chili powder instead of Kashmiri chili powder.