HOW TO MAKE BUTTER CHICKEN IN INDIAN STYLE AT HOME
Is Butter Chicken and Chicken Makhani the same ? Yes they are both the same. And it also goes by the name Murgh Makhani.
Butter chicken is a rich, creamy and delicious dish. It is one of the most popular dishes in India and among the most sought-after dishes in the Indian restaurants all over the world. It goes well with almost all the Indian flatbreads like roti, naan, phulka, kulcha and steamed rice and jeera rice.
Butter chicken is made by cooking grilled / fried marinated chicken pieces in a creamy curry. Tangy tomatoes, cashews, butter and heavy cream form the curry base.
Steps in making Butter Chicken
Marinating the chicken
Grilling / frying the chicken
Making the curry base
Assembling the butter chicken gravy
HOW TO MAKE BUTTER CHICKEN
Cooking instructions with step by step pictures
Add curd, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala, ginger garlic paste and salt in a bowl. Add in the chicken pieces and mix it thoroughly. Keep it aside for half an hour. You can even marinate the day before and keep it refrigerated. The longer you marinate, the more tender the chicken will be.
Heat a pan with oil / butter. Use butter for a great aroma and a rich gravy. Fry the marinated chicken pieces. Cook just 3 minutes on one side and flip them and cook for 3 more minutes. Do not overcook the chicken. We will complete cooking the chicken in the gravy. Once done keep it aside.
In a pan heat butter. You can even use the same pan in which you fried the chicken. Add roughly chopped onions and cook till they are golden in colour.
Add chopped tomatoes and saute till it turns mushy.
Add kashmiri red chilli powder and garam masala powder. Mix well and cook till the raw smell of the masalas go off.
Add cashew nuts and mix well.
Add 1 ½ cups of water, cover and simmer it for at least 10 to 12 mins till the mixture comes together.
After 10 minutes, cool it down and blend it into a fine and smooth paste.
In the same pan add the ground paste, fresh cream and butter and mix well.
Add sugar and salt.
Add the fried chicken pieces. Mix everything together and simmer it for 10 minutes.
Add crushed kasuri methi and mix well.
Switch off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with ghee rice / roti / jeera rice !!
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
For chicken marinade
- 500 g boneless chicken pieces
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ⅓ cup curd
- Salt to taste
For butter chicken gravy
- 1 big sized onion
- 3 medium sized tomatoes
- ¼ cup cashew nuts
- 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- ½ tsp granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup fresh cream
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ tsp kasuri methi
- Oil / butter for frying
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves for garnishing
Instructions
- Add curd, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala, ginger garlic paste and salt in a bowl. Add in the chicken pieces and mix it thoroughly. Keep it aside for half an hour. You can even marinate the day before and keep it refrigerated. The longer you marinate, the more tender the chicken will be.
- Heat a pan with oil / butter. Use butter for a great aroma and a rich gravy. Fry the marinated chicken pieces. Cook just 3 minutes on one side and flip them and cook for 3 more minutes. Do not overcook the chicken. We will complete cooking the chicken in the gravy. Once done keep it aside. You can even cook the chicken in the tandoor or oven.
- In a pan heat butter. You can even use the same pan in which you fried the chicken. Add roughly chopped onions and cook till they are golden in colour.
- Add chopped tomatoes and saute till it turns mushy.
- Add kashmiri red chilli powder and garam masala powder.
- Mix well and cook till the raw smell of the masalas go off.
- Add cashew nuts and mix well.
- Add 1 ½ cups of water, cover and simmer it for at least 10 to 12 mins till the mixture comes together.
- After 10 minutes, cool it down and blend it into a fine and smooth paste.
- In the same pan add the ground paste, fresh cream and butter and mix well.
- Add sugar and salt.
- Add the fried chicken pieces.
- Mix everything together and simmer it for 10 minutes.
- Add crushed kasuri methi and mix well.
- Switch off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with ghee rice / roti / jeera rice !!
Recipe Notes
- Longer the marination, juicier will be the chicken. Overnight marination is better if time permits.
- You can make the curry base ahead and freeze or refrigerate it for later use.
- You can use the same curry base to make paneer butter masala.
- If you want you can avoid adding onions to the recipe as authentic butter chicken recipe doesn’t use onions. But avoiding the onions make the dish little too sweet and tangy. If you are ok with it go ahead and omit the onions
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