Butter Chicken – Murgh Makhani

Serves: 6

Ingredients for the Marinade

1.5 lbs chicken, chopped or sliced
1/4 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or paprika if you want it less hot/spicy)
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon lime juice

Ingredients for the Curry

1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 to 4 green cardamom pods, partially crushed
1 medium onion, finely diced
1.5 teaspoons ginger, grated
1.5 teaspoons garlic, minced
Up to 2 green chilies, finely diced (use fewer if you prefer)
2 to 3 tablespoons cashew nut paste (optional) To make the paste, add a bit of boiling water to the cashews and let them soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Then blend them into a thick, smooth paste.
1 teaspoon salt
Up to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (use less if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
6 to 9 plum tomatoes, puréed—about 2 cups (if desired, remove the skin and seeds first to get a smoother gravy)
1/4 to 3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves, crumbled by hand to a fine powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 to 1/2 cup cream (or plain yoghurt as a healthier option)
2 tablespoons butter (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped

Directions for the Marinade

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, yoghurt, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder/paprika (if using), 1 teaspoon coriander powder, and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Mix well, cover, and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 to 8 hours.

Directions for the Curry

When the chicken is done marinating, heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat and fry the chicken until it’s nicely browned. Remove and set aside for now.

In the now-empty pot, melt the butter on medium heat, and add in the cumin seeds and crushed cardamom pods. Fry them for 30 seconds or so, until they start to crackle. Be careful not to burn the spices. Once they start crackling, add in the diced onions and fry them gently until soft and turning lightly brown.
Add in the ginger and garlic, and fry for another 3 minutes or so, until the raw flavours/smell disappear. Add in your green chili peppers (if using), and the cashew nut paste, cooking for another 2 minutes or so. You can add a couple of tablespoons of water if the mixture starts to dry out a bit.
Next, add in 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder/paprika (if using), 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, and 2 teaspoons coriander powder, stir well and cook for another minute.
Now, add in your puréed tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes or so until the tomatoes are darkened and the mixture thickens a bit. Add water if needed, until you get as thick a sauce as you prefer. (Optional: Let the sauce cool to a safe temperatute, remove the cardamom pods, and use an immersion blender to blend it smooth.)

Add the chicken pieces and simmer for 5 minutes or so until the meat is cooked through. Add in the 1 teaspoon sugar (if needed), 1 tablespoon crumbled fenugreek leaves, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1/4 to 1/2 cup cream (or yogurt), the 2 tablespoons of additional butter (if using), and the 1 tablespoon fresh coriander. Season to taste.

My Notes

I used boneless chicken thigh pieces instead because we prefer them. I used ghee instead of oil to fry the chicken and the onions. I used smoked paprika (not the spicy kind) instead of the Kashmiri chili powder. I didn’t have cashews so used about 2 tablespoons of ground almonds, blended into a thick paste with some boiling water. I did add the 2 tablespoons of additional butter at the end and about 1/2 cup of plain yoghurt. I skipped the fresh coriander because I forgot to buy some. I did use a hand blender once the sauce was cool enough but it only makes it look nicer, so next time I probably won’t bother!

My husband really liked this. I thought it was okay, but I plan to keep trying different Butter Chicken recipes until I find the right one for me. 😉