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.
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.
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 Tablesspoon minced garlic
½ Teaspoon of salt or to your taste
½ Teaspoon garam masala
1 Teaspoon of tandoori chicken mix masala (any brand)- optional
1 Cup plain thick yogurt (Greek yogurt or hung yogurt preferred)
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder
2 Teaspoon crushed kasoori Methi (Dry Fenugreek leaves) -optional
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 Tablesspoon minced garlic
½ Teaspoon of salt or to your taste
½ Teaspoon garam masala
1 Teaspoon of tandoori chicken mix masala (any brand)- optional
1 Cup plain thick yogurt (Greek yogurt or hung yogurt preferred)
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder
2 Teaspoon crushed kasoori Methi (Dry Fenugreek leaves) -optional
1 Teaspoon butter or ghee
Few drops of Red color-optional
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Boneless Chicken Thighs
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Ginger, Garlic, Yogurt & spices for the Marinade
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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 leave
1 Teaspoon ketchup (optional)
½ Cup plain yogurt
3 Drops red food color (optional)
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 leave
1 Teaspoon ketchup (optional)
½ Cup plain yogurt
3 Drops red food color (optional)
1 Teaspoon salt or to your taste
2 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
4 Tablespoons butter
½ Cup of whipping cream (Optional)
Onions, Tomatoes, Ginger, Garlic, Green chiles & Coriander leaves
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Cashews, Yogurt, Kasoori Methi, Red color, Ketchup & spices
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Directions to marinate:
1. Wash the chicken well (If you do not want to wash chicken then skip this step)
2. 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)
3. Tilt the bowl and keep a support under the bowl to keep it tilted for a while
so that all the water from the chicken drains out, otherwise marinade
gets watery. (You can also keep the Chicken pieces in a strainer to let the
water drain out)
1. Wash the chicken well (If you do not want to wash chicken then skip this step)
2. 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)
3. Tilt the bowl and keep a support under the bowl to keep it tilted for a while
so that all the water from the chicken drains out, otherwise marinade
gets watery. (You can also keep the Chicken pieces in a strainer to let the
water drain out)
Wash the Chicken
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Cut the Chicken pieces
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Keep the Chicken pieces in strainer
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Chicken pieces
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3. In a large bowl add yogurt, grated ginger, minced garlic, Tandoori Chicken
Masala, ½ teaspoon salt, Red chili powder, Turmeric powder, Garam
masala, kasoori methi, Red color and melted butter or ghee and mix
them together and make a smooth paste.
4. Once all the water drains out, add the 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)
Masala, ½ teaspoon salt, Red chili powder, Turmeric powder, Garam
masala, kasoori methi, Red color and melted butter or ghee and mix
them together and make a smooth paste.
4. Once all the water drains out, add the 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)
Add butter & all the ingredients in the Yogurt
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Yogurt marinade paste
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Add chicken pieces in marinade
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Mix chicken with marinade
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Baking chicken in the frying pan:
Chicken could be baked in the oven or baked on the charcoal or gas 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 gas 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. In a bowl add chili powder and turmeric powder and dilute them in 3
tablespoons of water and keep it aside.(Dilute the spices in the water gives
nice even color)
2. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. 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.
tablespoons of water and keep it aside.(Dilute the spices in the water gives
nice even color)
2. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. 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.
Dilute chili powder and turmeric powder
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In a pan add oil, onions, Garlic and Green chilies
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Add Cashews and sauté
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Onion become translucent
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3. 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.
Add coriander powder & mix
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Fry the coriander powder
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4. Transfer the sauteed onion mix in to blender and grind it to a paste. Add little
water at a time to lubricate the onions for grinding.
5. In the same blender add chopped tomatoes and puree. Keep it aside.
water at a time to lubricate the onions for grinding.
5. In the same blender add chopped tomatoes and puree. Keep it aside.
Grind Sautéed onion with other ingredients
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Puree Tomatoes
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6. In the same pan onions were fried heat 4 tablespoons of butter. Transfer the
onion paste in the pan and mix with butter and let it cook.
onion paste in the pan and mix with butter and let it cook.
Heat butter in the pan
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Transfer onion paste in the pan
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7. Transfer the grinded tomato puree in the same pan with the onion paste.
8. Add Red food color and yogurt and mix . (If you are going to add red color)
9. Add soaked chili powder and turmeric powder and mix it well.
8. Add Red food color and yogurt and mix . (If you are going to add red color)
9. Add soaked chili powder and turmeric powder and mix it well.
Add tomato puree, food color, yogurt and mix
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Add soaked Red chili & Turmeric powder & mix
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10.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. The onion masala might splatter while cooking,
cover the pan and let it cook.
11. In about 10 to 15 minutes all the water will evaporate and you will start
seeing the oil that means onion masala is done.
to medium high so that water dry up quickly while frequently stirring so that
onion masala does not burn. The onion masala might splatter while cooking,
cover the pan and let it cook.
11. In about 10 to 15 minutes all the water will evaporate and you will start
seeing the oil that means onion masala is done.
Stir all the ingredients well
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Let the onion masala cook
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Cover the pan and cook
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Onion masala is cooked
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12. Add 3 cups of water and salt and mix and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
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Add salt and mix
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13 Once gravy become thick add Garam masala and ketchup and mix.
Gravy becomes thicker
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Add Ketchup & Garam masala & mix
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14. Take the dry kasoori methi (Fenutreek leaves) and crush in between your
both palms and add to gravy and mix and cook for few minutes.
both palms and add to gravy and mix and cook for few minutes.
Take some Methi and crush it
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Sprinkle crushed Methi
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15 Add baked chicken in the gravy and cover the pan and cook for another 5 to 7
minutes or until you have the desired consistency of gravy. Turn the stove
off.
minutes or until you have the desired consistency of gravy. Turn the stove
off.
Gravy is cooked
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Add baked chicken in the gravy
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Mix the Chicken in the gravy & cook
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Cover the pan and cook
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16. Just before serving add ½ cup of whipping cream mix and bring to boil and
turn the stove off. Transfer the chicken to the serving bowl and garnish with
chopped coriander leaves.
turn the stove off. Transfer the chicken to the serving bowl and garnish with
chopped coriander leaves.
Butter Chicken is cooked
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Add cream and mix
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Butter Chicken is ready
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Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves
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Butter Chicken / Murg Makhani
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.
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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