Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken is one of the Punjab’s favorite most delicious dish popular not only in India but around the world. It is also known as Murg makhani. It’s wonderful flavor liked by everyone and every age group.
Butter chicken is reddish orange in color and has nice thick sweet creamy smooth sauce made with cashews, tomatoes and butter and to enhance the flavor grilled chicken and dry kasoori methi (feneugreek leaves) added to the sauce.
Traditionally chicken is first cooked in tandoor then add to the gravy, but it can also be grilled, roasted or pan fried. Butter chicken can be prepared in variety of ways it could be hot or mild to suit your taste. Serve this dish with chapatti or naan and rice.
The gravy gets its red, orange color from red food dye. We are not that big on food dyes here, so we’ve skipped it, but if you must have your curry looks orange red then feel free to add a bit of red food dye or add sufficient amount of Kashmiri chili powder which is not hot but it will give the color.
Butter chicken is reddish orange in color and has nice thick sweet creamy smooth sauce made with cashews, tomatoes and butter and to enhance the flavor grilled chicken and dry kasoori methi (feneugreek leaves) added to the sauce.
Traditionally chicken is first cooked in tandoor then add to the gravy, but it can also be grilled, roasted or pan fried. Butter chicken can be prepared in variety of ways it could be hot or mild to suit your taste. Serve this dish with chapatti or naan and rice.
The gravy gets its red, orange color from red food dye. We are not that big on food dyes here, so we’ve skipped it, but if you must have your curry looks orange red then feel free to add a bit of red food dye or add sufficient amount of Kashmiri chili powder which is not hot but it will give the color.
Ingredients for marinade:
2 Pounds of boneless Chicken thighs
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
1 Teaspoon red chili powder
1 Tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
½ Teaspoon of salt or to your taste
1 Cup plain thick yogurt (Greek yogurt or hung yogurt preferred)
2 Teaspoon dry Kasoori Methi - (dry Fenugreek leaves)
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon butter or ghee
Few drops of Red color-optional
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2 Pounds of boneless Chicken thighs
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
1 Teaspoon red chili powder
1 Tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
½ Teaspoon of salt or to your taste
1 Cup plain thick yogurt (Greek yogurt or hung yogurt preferred)
2 Teaspoon dry Kasoori Methi - (dry Fenugreek leaves)
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon butter or ghee
Few drops of Red color-optional
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Boneless Chicken thighs
Red chili powder
Yogurt
Lemon juice
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Tumeric powder
Minced Garlic
Melted Butter
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Gram Masala
Grated Ginger
Salt
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Ingredients for gravy
3 Medium onions – Chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Medium ripe tomatoes
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped ginger
2 Medium green chili – chopped or to your taste
2 Teaspoon Coriander powder
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Red chili powder
½ Teaspoon Garam masala or to your taste
2 Teaspoon dry kasoori Methi (dry Fenugreek leaves)
12 Raw unsalted Cashews
2 Tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
1 Teaspoon sugar (Optional)
½ Cup plain yogurt
1 Teaspoon salt or to your taste
2 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
4 Tablespoons butter
½ Cup of whipping cream (Optional)
3 Medium onions – Chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Medium ripe tomatoes
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped ginger
2 Medium green chili – chopped or to your taste
2 Teaspoon Coriander powder
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Red chili powder
½ Teaspoon Garam masala or to your taste
2 Teaspoon dry kasoori Methi (dry Fenugreek leaves)
12 Raw unsalted Cashews
2 Tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
1 Teaspoon sugar (Optional)
½ Cup plain yogurt
1 Teaspoon salt or to your taste
2 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
4 Tablespoons butter
½ Cup of whipping cream (Optional)
Onions, Ginger, Tomatoes, Garlic & Coriander leaves
Coriander powder
Garam Masala
Cashews
Butter
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Red chili powder
Kasoori Methi
Salt
Cream
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Turmeric powder
Yogurt
Chopped Coriander
Sugar
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Directions to marinate:
1. Wash the chicken well and keep in strainer so that all the water drains out. (If
you do not want to wash chicken then skip this step)
2. With a paper towel pat dry the Chicken pieces.
3. Trim the fat of the chicken and cut into one inch pieces and place it in a bowl.
( I find it easier to cut chicken with scissor then knife)
1. Wash the chicken well and keep in strainer so that all the water drains out. (If
you do not want to wash chicken then skip this step)
2. With a paper towel pat dry the Chicken pieces.
3. Trim the fat of the chicken and cut into one inch pieces and place it in a bowl.
( I find it easier to cut chicken with scissor then knife)
Wash chicken in running water
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Keep the Chicken in strainer
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Pat dry chicken thighs
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Cut the chicken in 1” pieces
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4. In a large bowl add yogurt, grated ginger, minced garlic, ½ teaspoon salt,
Red chili powder, Turmeric powder, kasoori methi, lemon, juice and melted
butter or ghee and mix them together and make a smooth paste.
Red chili powder, Turmeric powder, kasoori methi, lemon, juice and melted
butter or ghee and mix them together and make a smooth paste.
Chicken pieces
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Add yogurt & marinade ingredients
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Add lemon juice
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Add melted butter
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5. Make sure chicken pieces had no water other wise marinade gets watery. Add
chicken in the bowl and mix it with the paste well so that they have a good
coating of marinade, cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to marinate
overnight. (If you do not have time then marinate as long as you can)
chicken in the bowl and mix it with the paste well so that they have a good
coating of marinade, cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to marinate
overnight. (If you do not have time then marinate as long as you can)
Mix all the ingredients with yogurt
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Add chicken pieces in marinade
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Mix chicken in marinade
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Cover the bowel
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Baking chicken in the frying pan:
Chicken could be baked in the oven or baked on the charcoal or barbecue
grill. If oven or grill is not available then chicken pieces could be cooked on
the stove in a frying pan.
No matter which way you choose to grill chicken, cook on high heat because
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.
1. Heat a frying pan and grease it.
2.Spread the marinated Chicken pieces in the frying pan.
3. Fry chicken on high flame till all the moisture evaporates. Keep turning chicken
pieces to prevent burning. Don’t need to over cook chicken because it will also
cook in the gravy
Chicken could be baked in the oven or baked on the charcoal or barbecue
grill. If oven or grill is not available then chicken pieces could be cooked on
the stove in a frying pan.
No matter which way you choose to grill chicken, cook on high heat because
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.
1. Heat a frying pan and grease it.
2.Spread the marinated Chicken pieces in the frying pan.
3. Fry chicken on high flame till all the moisture evaporates. Keep turning chicken
pieces to prevent burning. Don’t need to over cook chicken because it will also
cook in the gravy
Heat and grease the pan
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Spread the chicken pieces in hot frying pan & bake
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Chicken is baked
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Baked chicken
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Direction for Butter Chicken:
1. Chop onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies.
1. Chop onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies.
Chopped Onions
Sliced Garlic
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Chopped Ginger
Chopped Green Chilies
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2. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
3. Add chopped onions.
3. Add chopped onions.
Add oil in a pan and heat
Add chopped Onions
4. Add chopped garlic, chopped green chilies and chopped ginger and cashew
nut and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes or until onions is translucent but not brown.
nut and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes or until onions is translucent but not brown.
Add chopped Ginger, chopped green chilies, sliced Garlic & Cashews
Sauté onions and other ingredients
5. Add Coriander powder and fry for few second. Turn the stove off and allow
onions to cool for 10 minutes.
onions to cool for 10 minutes.
Onion and other ingredients sautéed
Add Coriander powder
Mix Coriander powder
Onion and other ingredients are sautéed
6. Transfer the sautéed onion mix in to blender and grind it to a paste. Add little
water at a time to lubricate the onions for grinding.
water at a time to lubricate the onions for grinding.
In the Blender add all sautéed onion & other ingredients & grind
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Onion & other ingredients are grinded
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7. In the same blender add chopped tomatoes and puree. Keep it aside.
Add chopped tomatoes in blender
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Grind Tomatoes
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8. In the same pan onions were fried heat 4 tablespoons of butter.
9. Transfer the onion paste in the pan and let it cook.
9. Transfer the onion paste in the pan and let it cook.
In a pan add butter and heat
Transfer the onion paste in the pan
10. Cover the pan because onion masala splatter while cooking. Cook for few
minutes.
11. Pour grinded Tomato puree into onion paste and mix it well.
minutes.
11. Pour grinded Tomato puree into onion paste and mix it well.
Cover the pan & let the onion paste cook
Pour Tomato puree into the Onion paste
Tomato puree in the onion paste
Mix Tomato puree with onion paste
12.Add Yogurt and mix it well.
Add Yogurt
Mix Yogurt with onion paste
13. Add chili powder and turmeric powder and mix it well.
Add red chili powder &Turmeric powder
Mix Red chili powder & Turmeric powder
14.With the yogurt and tomato sauce onion masala become watery, turn the heat
to medium high so that water dry up quickly while frequently stirring so that
onion masala does not burn.
15.The onion masala might splatter while cooking, cover the pan and let it cook.
Turn the heat to medium low.
to medium high so that water dry up quickly while frequently stirring so that
onion masala does not burn.
15.The onion masala might splatter while cooking, cover the pan and let it cook.
Turn the heat to medium low.
Cover the pan & cook onion masala
Onion masala splatter a lot
16. In about 20 to 25 minutes all the water will evaporate and you will start
seeing the oil that means Onion masala is done.
17. Add 2 cups of water mix with masala and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
seeing the oil that means Onion masala is done.
17. Add 2 cups of water mix with masala and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
Onion masala is ready
Add water in
onion masala
Mix water with onion masala & cook
Gravy is ready
18. Add salt and mix.
Add salt and mix
19. Add Garam masala and mix.
Add Garam masala and mix
20. Add sugar and mix.
Add Sugar and mix
21. Take the dry kasoori Methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) and crush in between
your both palms and add to gravy and mix and cook for few minutes.
your both palms and add to gravy and mix and cook for few minutes.
Take some Kasoori Methi in your hand
Add Kasoori Methi in gravy
Mix Kasoori Methi with gravy
Gravy is ready
22. Add baked chicken in the gravy.
Add Baked Chicken pieces in gravy
23. With a spoon pour gravy over Chicken pieces.
Pour gravy over chicken pieces
Chicken pieces are covered with gravy
24. Cover the pan and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. or until you have the
desired consistency of gravy.
25. If gravy seems to be thick then add some water and cook, until you have
the desired consistency of gravy.
26. Turn the stove off.
desired consistency of gravy.
25. If gravy seems to be thick then add some water and cook, until you have
the desired consistency of gravy.
26. Turn the stove off.
Cover the pan and cook
Chicken is cooked
27. Just before serving add ½ cup of whipping cream mix and bring to boil and
turn the stove off.
turn the stove off.
Add cream and mix
Butter chicken is ready
28. Transfer the chicken to the serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander
leaves.
leaves.
Butter chicken
Tips:
1. When ready to serve heat the chicken and in the end add cream, heat for about
2 minutes, turn the heat off, make sure that you do not over heat the cream,
overheating spoil the cream and the cream change to ghee, this is the reason
why the cream is added at the end when is ready to be served. Remove from
the stove and transfer into serving dish.
2. If you are watching your calories then substitute cream with ½ cup of milk.
3. Hung yogurt is thick yogurt which is good for marinating. If you do not have
thick yogurt, take plain yogurt, line a strainer with a cloth or a kitchen towel,
put the strainer inside a mixing bowl. The bottom of the strainer must be
suspended at least 1 inch above the bottom of the mixing bowl. Pour the yogurt
in the strainer and place it in the refrigerator and leave it for 3 to 4 hours
or until all the liquid drips out of the cloth and into the bowl. Scoop out the
yogurt and it is ready to be used. Strained yogurt should be thick and less than
half the original volume.
1. When ready to serve heat the chicken and in the end add cream, heat for about
2 minutes, turn the heat off, make sure that you do not over heat the cream,
overheating spoil the cream and the cream change to ghee, this is the reason
why the cream is added at the end when is ready to be served. Remove from
the stove and transfer into serving dish.
2. If you are watching your calories then substitute cream with ½ cup of milk.
3. Hung yogurt is thick yogurt which is good for marinating. If you do not have
thick yogurt, take plain yogurt, line a strainer with a cloth or a kitchen towel,
put the strainer inside a mixing bowl. The bottom of the strainer must be
suspended at least 1 inch above the bottom of the mixing bowl. Pour the yogurt
in the strainer and place it in the refrigerator and leave it for 3 to 4 hours
or until all the liquid drips out of the cloth and into the bowl. Scoop out the
yogurt and it is ready to be used. Strained yogurt should be thick and less than
half the original volume.
You can bake chicken in the oven:
Preheat the oven on 450 degree. Grease a broiler dish with oil and layer the chicken in a single layer and place it in the oven, turn the oven to broil on high and cook the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Every oven varies cooking
Time.
Preheat the oven on 450 degree. Grease a broiler dish with oil and layer the chicken in a single layer and place it in the oven, turn the oven to broil on high and cook the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Every oven varies cooking
Time.
Layer the chicken in the pan and place it in the oven
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Chicken is baked
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Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.
Thank you
Geeta Seth
Thank you
Geeta Seth
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