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Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
Tender yogurt marinated chicken in a silky tomato, butter, and fenugreek sauce. The world's most famous Indian curry.
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Video by Chef's Roll, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani), in 5 ideas
- The char on the chicken is the flavor. Grill or broil it first. Do not skip this.
- Fenugreek is the signature. It is the bittersweet note that makes it taste like the restaurant.
- Blend the sauce. Silky is the whole point of this dish.
- Marinate longer than you think. An hour minimum, overnight if you can.
- Thighs, not breast. They stay tender through the simmer.
What you need
Ingredients
- 500g skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 to 2 tsp hot chilli powder
- 200g natural yogurt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
- 1 thumb sized piece ginger, grated
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ground fenugreek
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 300ml chicken stock
- 50g flaked almonds, toasted
- To serve: basmati rice, naan bread, mango chutney or lime pickle, fresh coriander, lime wedges
How to make it
Directions
- Mix the lemon juice, cumin, paprika, chilli powder, and yogurt. Coat the chicken thoroughly, cover, and marinate at least 1 hour in the fridge (overnight is better).
- Grill or broil the chicken until charred at the edges, about 8 minutes. It does not need to be cooked through. Set aside.
- In a large pan, soften the onion in the oil over medium heat, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, green chilli, ginger, garam masala, and fenugreek. Cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato puree and stock. Simmer 15 minutes, then blend with a stick blender until completely silky.
- Return the sauce to the pan, add the chicken, and simmer 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Serve with basmati rice and warm naan. Top with toasted almonds, coriander, and a squeeze of lime.
No stick blender, no problem. A regular blender works, just vent the lid and blend in batches. Hot sauce in a sealed blender is a small volcano.