This rich, buttery, creamy chicken needs no introduction. Most probably the best known of all Indian dishes, it has already claimed the fame that it deserves.
A heartwarming favorite at home, a staple at most Indian restaurants, this north Indian dish has made its place in every corner of the world. And here I am, finally posting the recipe of this favorite dish. I have been seeing searches in my blog for the Butter Chicken and Naan and realized that I have not posted either one of them. (Update: Now Posted)
There are many who know not where India is, but is well aware of the culinary map; there is an instant spark and recognition at the utterance of “Butter Chicken”. Such is the magic of gastronomy. Food makes the world smaller and friendlier, provides a base for conversation between two people who might have nothing in common.
There are not many Indian restaurants that do not serve Butter Chicken. In our home, Murgh Makhani served in the restaurants is also a measuring tool to judge the quality of the restaurant. If a restaurant cannot whip up a good Murgh Makhani, the kind that will leave you stuffed and satisfied yet craving for more, that restaurant is not worth stepping into the second time around.
The recipe is said to have originated in a restaurant called Moti Mahal in Delhi, India. “The origins of butter chicken can be traced back to a man named Kundan Lal Gujral, who ran a restaurant called Moti Mahal Delux in Peshawar before the partition of British India. With the partition of British India, Moti Mahal moved to New Delhi. Butter Chicken is regarded to have been first introduced by Moti Mahal in New Delhi” (Wiki)
Murgh Makhani is not the same thing as the Chicken Tikka Masala,; both the recipes look similar and uses marinated grilled chicken in the sauce, but the base sauce for the two recipes are quite different. While the Chicken Tikka Masala is told to have been created from the Cambell Tomato Soup, the sauce for Butter Chicken is made with pureed juicy tomatoes, and spices cooked in butter, and is finished off with fresh cream. The primary aroma of the dish unfolds with the addition of the kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves. The trick is to cook the chicken in a tandoor/traditional clay oven, where the temperature reaches way higher than any regular oven; the marinated chicken is cooked in few minutes, tender and succulent.
Butter Chicken is a rich regal dish, and that is what the talk is all about. This in its authentic form has given it the popularity it achieved. There are many who gasp at the amount of cream that goes in it. So there are a lot of versions that substitutes the cream with yogurt or the butter/ghee with oil. I have tried those kinds too, but they have failed to fulfill me. Substitutions make nice chicken curries, but not the Butter Chicken. So when I make Murgh Makhani, and which does not happen everyday, I do indulge and make the rich original kind.
If you do need to substitute the cream, use half and half or evaporated milk or even milk. The taste of the final dish stays closer to the original.
Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)
Ingredients: (serves 4-6)
- 2 lbs chicken , washed, patted dry and cut into small pieces – (feel free to use chicken with or without bones, chicken thighs or a combination of breast and thighs)
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt
- oil/butter/ghee to baste while grilling
For marinade:
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt, strained/hung or use 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1.5 teaspoons kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1.5 tablespoon mustard oil, or any other cooking oil to substitute
- 1.5 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic paste
Note: You can make the sauce right when you are making this dish (use recipe below) or use 2 cups of the Makhani Masala (without the cream added to it) if you have it already frozen and stored.Whatever you use, pre made/frozen or make it now, use 2 cups of the Sauce/Makhani Masala. If you are making now as per the recipe below and have extra, freeze it for later use.
For the sauce/Makhani Masala:
- 2.5 inch fresh ginger, made into a paste
- 8-10 cloves of garlic, made into a paste
- 2-4 fresh green chili pepper, slit
- 4 tablespoon melted butter
- 4 green cardamoms
- 1.5 – 2 inch cinnamon sticks
- 3 cloves
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 teaspoon methi/fenugreek seeds
- 3-3.5 cups tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder or to taste
- 10 almonds, soaked, peeled and made into a paste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon heavy cream
Preparation:Apply red chili powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and set aside for 20 minutes. This is the first marination.
Combine strained yogurt, red chili powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala powder and mustard oil. Apply this marinade to the chicken and refrigerate for three to four hours; overnight works better.
Put the chicken on skewers and cook on a grill or a preheated oven at 400°F, for about 10 minutes while turning them over mid way. Cook until done. Do not overcook, as the chicken will dry out and get fibrous. Baste it with butter/ghee/oil a couple of times while cooking.
(The chicken may be grilled on a skillet/cast iron pan/grill pan on the stove top too. Heat the skillet/stove top grill pan and coat it with oil. Place the skewers and cook while turning them around and basting with oil and marinade until done, for about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.)
[ If you are using the pre made makhani masala, it should be about 2 cups in quantity]
Heat butter/ghee or oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Sauté for a couple of minutes or till they start to sizzle and get fragrant; add the methi/fenugrek seeds. When the methi seeds sizzle, add ginger paste and garlic paste, and the slit green chillies. Cook for five to eight minutes; the water from the paste would have evaporated and the ginger garlic paste would have reduced in quantity.
Add tomato puree, red chili powder, and salt.Cook at medium heat for about 15 – 20 minutes. The puree will reduce to a thick paste and the oil/ghee will separate from the sides of the pan.
Add 2.5 cups of hot water to the pan (or if you want it less soupy and want the sauce to kind of coat the chicken pieces and have a little bit extra, add less water or simmer for longer time to achieve the pref. consistency as per your taste), add the almond paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes; add sugar and crushed kasuri methi.
Add cooked grilled chicken pieces. Stir well to combine – the chicken will be well coated with the sauce. Cover and simmer for eight to ten minutes; Lower the heat and add garam masala and the heavy cream. Stir in the cream and simmer at low heat for about five more minutes.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and add a splash of cream before serving.
Serve hot with pulao.
or with Naan or Parathas.
Related Posts:
Malai Kofta: Cheese Dumpling Simmered in a Creamy Sauce
Chicken Korma: Chicken cooked in a creamy nut sauce
Achari Murgh: Chicken with Pickling Spices
Methi Murgh: Chicken Curry with Fenugreek Leaves
Around the Food World:
This is wonderful (and making me crave butter chicken now!). Your photos are gorgeous. I have a few different recipes given to me by Indian friends and I love how each one is just a little different – sort of like how everyone has their version of homemade spaghetti sauce.
I will need to bookmark this, I’ve made butter chicken a few times but it never looked this delicious!
What a fabulous dish! refined, tasty and so soul-uplifting. Your murgh makhani looks so beautiful.
Cheers,
Rosa
Mouthwatering, Delicious, Lavish, Awesome Butter Chicken… I have run out of words to drool over it.
Deepa
Yummy n creamy like the restaurant ones
I’ll be posting a butter chicken recipe in the next day or two. Yours looks fab….very similar but I don’t use almonds in mine!
I know this is considered popular, westernn Indian food but when made well, it’s a delightful meal and a winner for good reason! Great pics, Soma!
loved the recipe and photo
It is simply fabulous . almond paste gives a more richer taste
loved the recipe and photo
It is simply fabulous . almond paste gives a more richer taste
it looks better than the resto version
This recipe looks fantastic! I may end up making it by the end of the weekend- thanks for sharing!
Soma, if you lived near , would have invited myself over. I adore this dish, too scared to make it myself, but won’t mind indulging with you
Looks very good Soma. I love Butter Chicken with ruti or naan. Fab photos, but thats your signature.
Lovely mouth watering recipe. beautiful pictures… !
YUM! I’ve had this at Indian restaurants and would love to try cooking this! One of my favs.
Butter chicken is truly a luxurious dish, but I never think to make it at home. I’m missing a couple of ingredients, but will make a trip to our local Indian market to pick them up. I can’t wait to try this!
wow, what gorgeous butter chicken!!!
I prefer with naan, they are truly delicious ur pictures!
this makes me so hungry, and I don’t even like butter chicken generally
it looks so creamy, really mouthwatering…
Hey Soma.. good to see your clicks.. always makes me happy to see how good they come out!
Butter chicken is not my favorite. But your pictures still look fab! 
first time in your blog and want to say that you have FABULOUS display, just loving it.
Girl friend you know that you are my hero but after this post even more!! Butter chicken is my li’l brother’s hands down the favorite dish and he can eat it EVERYDAY! So no wonder this dish always reminds me of him and still I’ve barely made it myself just a couple times.
Now that is one recipe I HAVE to make ‘cos it looks very much like what he would love to eat.
Thanks so much Soma!
Divine looking curry Soma! Love the styling too!
Soma, I Love this rich, creamy, buttery goodness dish!
Your pics are absolutely mouthwatering! 
oh my, I am speechless here..looks fabulous..this totally makes me hungry now..feel like having some of this butter, creamy chicken NOW!!
As coincidence has it I just saw butter chicken on someone elses blog too! It looks so entirely delicious that I just have to make this really really soon!
Yum! I’ve never had homemade butter chicken, but your recipe and photographs make me want to try making this for myself.
what a delight !!!
I remember eating the best butter chicken at a hotel in India. Since then I’ve stopped eating meat but seriously, your photos are almost making me rethink being a vegetarian because this looks delicious!!
Ameena Try this with Paneer (Paneer Makhani). Exact same sauce, but with paneer in it. made in the same way!
this is my favourite Indian dish, no doubt! I have read and saved a lot of recipes, but yeah, the lengthy cooking process can be really daunting
. Now I just ned some motivation!
Anh, I have posted the Makhani Masala before which is used here ( have the link in this post). The Makhani Masala can be made in bulk and frozen for months (with out cream). I usually do that, and it is just a matter of marinating the chicken and grilling them. This actually gets done faster than any chicken curry as it has no onions to fry. Do give it try, if you like it!
^ Yes Soma. I would love to! I haven’t been very good with meal planning lately. Just need to give myself some time to “settle” and this will be made
Wow! I love the look of this chicken, with all the spices needed to prepare this, I can imagine how delicious this is!
This looks AMAZING! I am so glad I stumbled upon this recipe, definitely going to be making it sometime in the near future. Quick question: where do you get all of those wonderful spices? I’m not sure my local market has fenugreek or black cardamom.
Thank you Elizabeth!
The fenugreek and the black cardamom are not the usual spices used in every kitchen. They are available in Indian Grocery stores. I am hoping that you have easy access to one. The fenugreek seeds are called Methi Seeds, and the black cardamom is Badi Elaichi. The dried fenugreek leaves = kasuri/kasoori methi. The spices usually have both names written on the bags/packets.
regards
Soma
Chicken Makhani is my FAVORITE. I didn’t realize there were so many ingredients! Hopefully someday I can collect all the ingredients and try to make this. It looks great.
This chicken looks so delicious! Photo is wonderful. I never try it before but i think that i really need it:) Thanks, Soma
Looks spectacular, Soma! I don’t eat chicken but love this sauce with paneer!
Lovely pics – I love the fact that you used the handis – reminds me of home!
This looks beyond amazing
I can’t wait to try it!!
[...] to try for ages. I usually serve curries with popadoms, but when I saw the fabulous recipe for Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) I decided that naan would be the perfect accompaniment. I was a little [...]
I made this last night and it was delicious, so pleased.
I made this 2 weeks ago it was beyong amazing
making it again for dinner tonight!! Thanks for the recipe.
Hello! I’ve just discovered your blog while searching for a butter chicken recipe and it is fabulous!
I made this recipe exactly as written yesterday but was a little bit disappointed. My issue was the addition of the 2.5 cups of water – is that a typo? Because 2.5 cups was definitely too much, the sauce way too liquid, almost like soup. I ended up with a huge potful of sauce. It was not creamy and I could barely taste the butter. The restaurant butter chicken I’ve had is usually a lot thicker. Suggestions? Should I just let it boil longer or can I skip or decrease the water? I definitely want to make this again because the spicing/flavor was perfect but the consistency needed work.
I am sorry:( If you see the photographs, you would have realized that this does have a little bit more sauce than the restaurant version. If you want it thicker, do reduce the water amount OR increase heat and simmer it longer (that will allow the spices to cook better too). If you want you can def. increase the amount of cream and butter too. I will update the post with this info:) Thank you.
Thank you for the prompt response! I’ll make it with less water next time. As I said the taste is pretty delicious so I just ate some of the extra sauce as soup yesterday
I am surprised that it got so watery that you had it as a soup!! When you add the water, the stuff in the pan should actually reduce quite a lot and the water simmers down – uncovered further for 15 minutes. i am so sorry for the mess:( we like to have some extra sauce to soak up the naan with it), but it never became like a soup .
[...] I thought that it’s cooked with butter and that’s why the name. Until I saw the amazing recipe in Soma’s blog [...]
That curry looks beautiful!
Hi Soma,
We want to say a big thank you for your support for the Cook & Share a Pot of Curry event. Your recipes are really inspiring, especially for all that are new to curries. Look forward to your next dish!
Soma – yummy recipe…my son was asking for a chicken dish that was like restaurant…Thank god this made him happy…:)
Hi Soma, I’ve made your recipe and it turned out great; your butter chicken is as good as in the best Indian restaurant! I just have one question: what to do with the whole spices? When the sauce is done, these spices (like the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon etc.) are still there. Do you put the sauce through a sieve to get rid of them, or do you use a blender to make it nice and smooth? I can’t find this in the recipe. Thanks so much!
Thank you much!
Regarding the spices, we usually fish it out if it happens to land on our plate ;D you can either remove them once the cooking is done, or once the sauce is done and before adding the chicken pieces, you may blend them all in for them to disappear and also have a smoother sauce.. then add the chicken and simmer everything until done.
Looks great, thanks for posting: Quick question – directions say to saute cinnamon, but there is no cinnamon in the list… how much, and whole or powdered? Thanks!
Sorry about that! I have updated the post. Use 1.5 inch to 2 inch cinnamon sticks.
Regards
Soma
Hi Soma,
Wonderful recipe and fabulous pictures. Nowadays anything we feel like making in the house…we check your blog first
One comment about the recipe – I followed the ingredient list and directions to a tee but the gravy was a little sour (presumably because of the tomatoes?). I was able to fix it by adding a little extra milk/half-half but perhaps maybe the tomatoes need to be cooked longer?
Thanks much!
The sour could be because of the tomatoes.. yes.. it all depends on the kind of tomato. Did you use fresh? or the canned ones. I doubt if the tomatoes were sour cooking them longer would fix it. If it was not cooked long enough, you would feel/taste the uncooked masala. Try using a drizzle of sugar (not much.. just enough to balance out the sour), and the cream/milk. It is safer to use canned tomatoes as fresh ones are pretty unpredictable… if it is still sour for you try reducing the quantity of the tomatoes a bit the next time. Hope I could help.
Regards
Soma
Hey
I wondered, is there any substitutes for almonds/cashew nuts if its made for people allergic to nuts? I read about people using poppy seeds. Any experience with this?
use poppy seeds or just do not use any nuts at all.. it will still be good:)
Dear Soma,
As I am sure you are wawre tandori houses are very popular and often visited in this part of the world and as I just like good, aromatic food I quickly became a fan of the Indian and Pakistani offerings 
As we are all lovers of potatoes I actually serve it with some fried 5 spice potatoe wedges and Nan.
I am German but moved to England several years ago. My partner is English and our daugter, well she i half and half I guess
Being a bit scared of the wide array of spices called for in many if the recipes I hesitated to start making my own, but when i came across your blog I decided I had to give it a go and the Murgh Makhani was to be my guinea pig… Oh and what a revelation it has proven to be!!! I cannot thank you enough for your great recipes and the inspiration you provide, we all absolutely love it and even my two year old daughter gets stuck in and says “nice, nice, nice” as she munches along ( I should add that I hold back on the chillies a bit ).
The process of preparing the different components and the smells filling the house is a true joy for me and how great is the reward of sittig down at the end of it and have it all dancing around your mouth, I can’t thank you enough.
Yesterday I made the dish again and we had invited my mother in law over, who smilingly polished off the portion we had put in front of her complimenting me all along
Thank you for the really lovely “make me feel good” comment:) The first thing I read when I opened my blog and it really did make my day. Beautiful readers like you encourages me to keep blogging even during the down times!! Thanks again. xo