Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
User Reviews
4.6
33 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Additional Time
4 hrs
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Total Time
5 hrs 15 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Calories
454 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup
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Cuisine
Indian
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
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Make the best butter chicken you've ever had with a few culinary tricks that transform ordinary ingredients into a luxurious Indian feast. My murgh makhani recipe combines tender char-grilled tandoori chicken with a luxurious curry sauce made with tomatoes caramelized with butter and cream.
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Ingredients
For chicken
- 30 grams garlic (~ 5 large cloves, peeled)
- 30 grams fresh ginger (~ 1-inch piece, peeled and sliced)
- 450 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ⅓ cup PLAIN yogurt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon saffron (threads crushed)
For curry
- 600 grams whole stewed tomatoes (1 ½ small cans)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons cultured unsalted butter
- 6 pods green cardamom
- 1 pod black cardamom
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 fresh chili peppers
- 40 grams raw cashew nuts (about ¼ cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
- 1 teaspoons garam masala
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
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Instructions
- Put 30 grams fresh ginger and 30 grams garlic into a small food processor and puree, you may need to add a bit of water to make it go. If you don't have a small food processor, you can grate by hand.
- In a small bowl, whisk ⅓ cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon saffron, and 2 teaspoons of the garlic ginger mixture together. Save the remaining garlic ginger mixture for the sauce.
- Put 450 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs in a freezer bag and pour the marinade all over it, rubbing it into the chicken. Squeeze all the air out of the bag and seal it. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
- For the sauce, puree 600 grams whole stewed tomatoes with their juices along with 2 tablespoons tomato paste in a blender or food processor.
- Add 3 tablespoons cultured unsalted butter to a pot along with the 6 pods green cardamom, 1 pod black cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves. Fry the mixture until the cloves are puffy.
- Add 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 2 fresh chili peppers, and remaining garlic ginger mixture and saute until browned, and very fragrant.
- Add the pureed stewed tomatoes and tomato paste and cook this mixture over medium heat until the tomatoes have become very thick and paste-like (about 45 minutes). Once the mixture starts sputtering you'll want to stir it pretty regularly to keep the sputtering under control while maintaining enough heat to reduce the liquid.
- While the tomatoes are reducing, grill the chicken. You can use either an outdoor grill or broiler, but in either case it needs to be very hot. You want to get the outside lightly charred, but you don't want to cook the chicken all the way through as it will finish cooking in the sauce. If you cook it completely now, it will get overcooked in the sauce.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
- In a blender or food processor, add 40 grams raw cashew nuts along with 2 cups of water. Puree until smooth and milk-like in color.
- When the tomato mixture is done caramelizing turn off the heat and add the cashew nut milk, whisking it together.
- Pass the sauce through a wire strainer into a saucepan, pressing on the solids with a silicone spatula to get as much sauce through as you can.
- Cut the chicken into large chunks and add it to the pot with the sauce along with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves and 1 teaspoons garam masala. Simmer this for 6-8 minutes over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add ⅓ cup heavy cream and stir together and then turn the heat off. Plate the butter chicken and drizzle a little extra cream on top. Garnish with some cilantro leaves.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
454kcal
(23%)
Carbohydrates
22g
(7%)
Protein
28g
(56%)
Fat
30g
(46%)
Saturated Fat
13g
(65%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
5g
Monounsaturated Fat
9g
Trans Fat
0.4g
Cholesterol
155mg
(52%)
Sodium
1565mg
(65%)
Potassium
944mg
(27%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Vitamin A
1117IU
(22%)
Vitamin C
52mg
(58%)
Calcium
147mg
(15%)
Iron
5mg
(28%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 454 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 454kcal | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 22g | 7% |
| Protein | 28g | 56% |
| Fat | 30g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Trans Fat | 0.4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 155mg | 52% |
| Sodium | 1565mg | 65% |
| Potassium | 944mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 1117IU | 22% |
| Vitamin C | 52mg | 58% |
| Calcium | 147mg | 15% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
33 reviews
Excellent
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