Butter Chicken or Murg Makhani

Literally translated, Murg means Chicken, and Makhani means Buttery. No other chicken dish compares to this silken smooth gravy. Butter chicken brings happy childhood memories...that's the chicken we ate every time we went out - no question about it! This dish is no good without any butter and cream. Try and be guilt free when you eat it :)

Now, there are a lot of Butter Chicken recipes out there - I personally like this one...

Ingredients

   

800 grams Chicken

1 Tbsp Lemon juice

1 Tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

Salt to taste

2 Tbsp Butter

FOR MARINADE

1 Cup Yogurt

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

2 Tbsp Ginger paste

2 Tbsp Lemon juice

2 Tbsp Mustard oil

FOR MAKHANI GRAVY

50 grams Butter

1 Tbsp Ginger paste

4-5 Green chillies, chopped

1 Tbsp Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

1 Tbsp Whole garam masala

1 Tbsp Garlic paste

400 grams Tomato puree

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder

2 Tbsp Honey

1 Cup Cream

 

Method

 

1. Make incisions with a sharp knife on breast and leg pieces of the chicken.
   
2. Apply a mixture of red chilli powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and set aside for half an hour. 
   
3. Hang yogurt in a muslin cloth for fifteen to twenty minutes to remove extra water. Add red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala powder and mustard oil. 
   
4. Apply this marinade to the chicken pieces and refrigerate for three to four hours. 
   
5. Put the chicken onto a skewer and cook in a moderately hot tandoor or a preheated oven (200°C) for ten to twelve minutes or until almost done. Cook on grill if Tandoor is not available. 
   
6. Baste it with butter and cook for another two minutes. Remove and set aside. 
   
7. Heat butter in a pan. Add green cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon. Sauté for two minutes.
   
8. Add ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chillies. Cook for two minutes. 
   
9. Add tomato puree, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and one cup of water. Bring to a boil. 
   
10. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Add sugar or honey and powdered kasoori methi. 
    
11. Add cooked tandoori chicken pieces. Simmer for five minutes and then add fresh cream. 
    
12. Serve hot with naan or parantha and basmati rice.
    

Bon Appetit!