The BEST Butter Chicken!
Murgh Makhani
(Butter Chicken)
The world’s favourite…and ours too!
For the first recipe, it is only right to introduce our infamous Butter Chicken! This dish is a go-to classic for dinner parties and an all-time family favourite. The creamy, aromatic curry was initially invented “by chance” in the 1950s, when chefs Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujra mixed tandoori chicken in a spiced tomato and butter sauce.
Thereafter, there have been plenty of variations to this classic dish. Since our mother’s traditional version, and like any great recipe passed through generations, there have been a few tweaks along the way. Usually, the sauce is blended or sieved to form a smooth coating. However, we prefer ours with a bit of texture! The bite of wholesome ingredients, such as the onions and tomatoes, counters the creaminess of the almonds, milk and yogurt.
The recipe below is the perfect blend of flavours, texture and silkiness, providing a mild but rich curry … as well as the easiest, fool-proof version for any cook. Try it for yourself and enjoy!
Serves 4-6
Vegetarian options: Paneer, Tofu, Soy Chunks
Timings:
Prep: 15-30 minutes (depending on how long you choose to marinade the chicken)
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Overall: 50 minutes
From your kitchen:
Large saute pan
Griddle/Frying pan
Measuring cups/jugs
From the shop:
600g chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
4 tbsp olive oil / oil of choice (some for marinade, some for frying)
100ml natural yogurt (2 tbsp for marinade)
4 cloves of garlic crushed/2tsp paste
4cm piece of ginger minced/2tsp paste
½ tsp mango powder (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp tomato puree
200g chopped tinned tomatoes
40g ground almonds
Salt to taste
½ tsp of cinnamon
1 large onion diced
40g butter
175ml milk
3-4 tbsp single cream
Twist of ground black pepper
Small bunch of fresh coriander
From your spice box (masala dabba):
For the chicken marinade -
½ tsp chilli powder
For the sauce -
2 cardamom pods crushed, seeds removed and ground
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp chilli powder
½ fennel
¼ tsp turmeric
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
¼ tsp garam masala
Method:
To begin, let's marinade the chicken. Place your 600g of chicken pieces with ½ tsp of chilli powder, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tbsp of natural yogurt, half the garlic, half the ginger, mango powder (optional) and 1 tsp lemon juice.
Mix and leave to marinate for 30min. If you want a deeper flavour, you can leave this to marinate overnight to fry off in the morning.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil on a medium heat in the griddle pan and fry the chicken for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until golden. Remove with tongs and set aside.
In a bowl, mix the remaining yogurt with the almonds, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, salt, chilli, fennel, turmeric and cinnamon.
Now time for the sauce. Heat the remaining oil and 40g of butter in a sauté pan. Add in the cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cloves and bay leaves. Stir-fry for 20 seconds before adding in your onions, garlic and ginger. Fry this mixture for 5-7 minutes until translucent and lightly browned.
Add the yogurt mixture and chicken to the pan. Combine the ingredients, stirring occasionally and fry for 5 minutes, adding a little water to keep the chicken moist.
Cover and simmer for 18-20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
When the mixture has reduced, and the oil rises to the surface, stir in the milk and cook for a further 5 minutes. If necessary, add more milk to keep the chicken moist and well coated with the sauce.
To finish, mix in the garam masala, cream, ground black pepper, and finely chopped coriander.