Butter Chicken | Murgh Malai | Chicken Makhanwala | Murgh Makhani

Butter chicken is one of the famous chicken curries from North India and is available at any Indian restaurant around the globe. It is also well known as “Chicken Makhani” and “Murgh Makhani” where Murgh means chicken and Makhani means dipped in butter. It’s a very popular, finger-licking, and delicious dish that is loved by many throughout the world.

This curry has a buttery and creamy flavor with some Indian spices. To make this curry creamy cream, butter, and cashew paste is added. In this recipe, I have skipped cream as it becomes too creamy and sweet, I like my butter chicken a bit spicy. And to give it slightly spicy flavor Indian spices are added such as red chilli powder, tandoori masala, coriander powder, and cumin powder. To make a gravy, fried onions and tomatoes’ puree is added.

Butter chicken looks golden in color and tastes aromatic with all these ingredients in it. Some people add red food color to it to make it more presentable, especially in Indian restaurants. This butter chicken gravy tastes great with Indian bread such as naan, butter naan, tandoori roti, chapati, or kulcha. Also, it goes well with steamed rice, ghee rice, jeera rice, or biryani.

It’s effortless to prepare right in the comfort of your home. It is usually first marinated and then grilled either on a pan, oven, or clay oven used for Indian cooking popularly known as tandoor.  This curry is a perfect dish for parties, get-togethers, or if you have friends over for dinner. Try out this recipe. I hope you enjoy cooking and tasting it with your loved ones.

Recipe Card for Butter Chicken

How to make Butter Chicken step-by-step?

Chicken Marination

Step 1: In a bowl, add 1 cup of yogurt (curd), salt to taste, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon chicken tandoori powder, 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, and 1 tablespoon of crushed dried Fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi). Mix all the ingredients well.

Step 2: Add ½ kg chicken pieces to the marination mix. Mix chicken with marinade.

Step 3: Poke each chicken piece with a knife or fork to make holes for the marination to blend well. Marinate the chicken overnight in the refrigerator.

Butter chicken gravy

Step 1: Soak about 10-12 cashews for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot.

Step 3: Add the marinated chicken and let it cook for about 5-10 minutes. Keep turning the chicken so that it doesn’t burn.

Step 4: Close the lid and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Open the lid and take out the chicken and keep it aside.

Step 6: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pot.

Step 7: Add 2 large diced onions and let it cook until it’s golden brown. Add 2-3 medium chopped tomatoes and 3-4 dried red chillies.

Step 8: Let the mixture cool down completely and then add this mixture and the soaked cashews to the mixing jar. Grind it into a thin slurry.

Step 9: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the same pot.

Step 10: Add 1 medium chopped onion and let it become golden brown.

Step 11: Add the tomato and onion puree, ½ teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, salt to taste, ½ teaspoon chicken tandoori masala, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, and 1 teaspoon red chilli powder. Mix them well.

Step 12: Add the cooked chicken, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup to the gravy.

Step 13: The Butter Chicken gravy is ready. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve it hot with tandoori roti or naan.