Whether you are a fitness freak or someone who likes to enjoy delicious Indian delicacies occasionally, we can all collectively agree that butter chicken is a comfort food that most people would like to indulge in without a moment’s hesitation.
Also known as Murgh Makhani or Chicken Makhani, this creamy, buttery delicacy is traditionally prepared by simmering grilled pieces of chicken in a thick and creamy tomatoey sauce, and is usually had with a variety of Naan or Roti.
You will find various recipes for this lip-smacking dish from a variety of well-reputed cooking enthusiasts but today I will try to bring you one of the best among them.
Butter Chicken Recipe: A Step-By-Step Guide
Marinate The Chicken
Here is the list of ingredients to be used to marinate the chicken pieces:
- Get 800g of chicken and make sure the pieces are mostly skinless. Excessive skin on the chicken pieces will make the gravy greasy and fatty. Chicken thighs and breasts are preferred. Cut them into bite-sized pieces if needed.
- 1 cup of yogurt (or hung curd if you want to prepare a thicker, denser marinade)
- 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp Kasuri methi (Dry Fenugreek Leaves)
- 1 tbsp oil to help the spices blend in well with the chicken pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (or according to your spice preference)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
Mix all the ingredients well in a large bowl/container, and make sure all the chicken pieces are coated in the marinade thoroughly and evenly. If you are using slightly larger pieces of chicken like thighs and legs, then make a few slits in them to allow the marinade to reach all inside them and coat them properly.
For best results, marinate the chicken pieces for a recommended 12 hours, or even overnight if have the time. You can choose to let it marinate for a longer period to give the chicken pieces a more intense flavor, but not for more than 48 hours.
If kept in the fridge, cover the marinated chicken bowl with a cling wrap, to make sure no other foreign flavors in the fridge get infused with it.
Moreover, let the chicken thaw naturally, so take the marinated chicken pieces out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking it.
Prepare The Chicken
Now that we have properly marinated the chicken pieces for a good number of hours, let us take a look at the steps required to prepare them:
Step 1: Take a grill pan and place it on the stove. Although traditionally, butter chicken pieces are roasted in a tandoor, for this recipe we’ll be using a widely available grill pan.
Step 2: Pour 1-2 tbsp of cooking oil and let it heat briefly. Don’t let the oil become too hot and start smoking, as that will char the chicken pieces a little too harshly and give them a burnt taste.
Step 3: Once the grill pan is adequately hot, place the marinated chicken pieces in it. Please make sure that there is enough space left between the pieces as you do not want the chicken pieces to stick to one another when cooking.
Step 4: Keep the flame of the stove between medium and high, as while we want to cook the chicken pieces, we also want them to develop a deliciously charred exterior, which won’t develop if we cook the pieces on low heat.
Step 5: Keep flipping the chicken pieces regularly to give them an evenly charred look on both sides. Once the pieces are nicely charred and around 80% cooked, take them off the heat and set aside.
Butter Chicken Gravy/Sauce Ingredients List
With the chicken pieces almost cooked and well charred, let us move on to preparing the deliciously creamy, buttery butter chicken gravy/sauce they will be added to.
Here is the ingredients list to prepare the gravy/sauce:
- 500 gms fresh tomatoes (Please make sure to get sweet tomatoes and not sour ones)
- 2-4 tbsp butter
- 1-2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 green chilies (reduce the amount if you are not fond of spice)
- 1-2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (only for color, not for heat)
- 3 whole Kashmiri red chilies (soak in warm water to make them soft)
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2-4 green cardamom
- 2 black cardamom
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 3-4 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium-sized onion (chop them into thin slices)
- 8-10 pods of garlic (reduce the amount if you do not want to make it too garlicky)
- 2-inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped into smaller pieces (reduce the amount if you prefer to have less ginger)
- 50 gms cashew (you can opt to use the same quantity of almonds too, but you’ll have to soak them in warm water for some time and take the skin off)
- 1 small bunch of fresh coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to balance the sour flavor of the tomatoes, if any
Prepare The Butter Chicken Gravy/Sauce
Here is the process to prepare the gravy/sauce:
Step 1: Take a large pan or kadai and place it on the stove. Keep the flame on medium heat.
Step 2: Put 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp of oil in the kadai.
Step 3: Now put all the whole spices in the kadai. 3-4 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2-4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom and stir them briefly to help them release all their flavors.
Step 4: Next, add the finely chopped onion and saute it for around 10-20 seconds. We do not want to brown the onions, we only want to cook them till their rawness goes away.
Step 5: Now, cut the tomatoes into big chunks and add them to the kadai. No need to finely chop them since they’ll soon be turned to paste anyway.
Step 6: Along with the tomatoes, add the pods of garlic, pieces of ginger, 2 green chilies, 3 soaked whole Kashmiri red chilies, 50 gms cashew or skinned almonds, and 2 spoons of Kashmiri red chili powder as well. Keep sauteing the ingredients in the kadai so they don’t stick to the bottom of the kadai and risk burning.
Step 7: Once all the ingredients are in the kadai, saute the butter chicken masala well for a few minutes to cook them properly to completely remove their raw taste and help it develop a delectable creamy texture. This step is crucial if you want the masala to develop the required level of flavor. If by any chance any ingredient is left undercooked in the masala, it will ultimately give the gravy a very unpleasant raw taste.
Step 8: To accelerate the cooking process of the masala, you can always choose to cover the kadai with a lid.
Step 9: Once all the ingredients have been cooked thoroughly, turn off the gas and let the masala cool down.
Step 10: Once cooled, take all the whole spices out of the masala. Grinding the whole spices with the masala will give the gravy a bitter and sharp taste, which is not that great to eat.
Step 11: After removing the whole spices, transfer the butter chicken masala into a mixer-grinder and grind it to a smooth and creamy consistency. You can add some water to it if you find the mixture is too thick in consistency.
Step 12: Once the grinding process is done, take a sieve and strain the mixture to remove any unwanted impurities like seeds and skins to get a smooth textured butter chicken masala paste. Set aside.
Step 13: Now take another fresh kadai and pour 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil. Keep the gas on low flame.
Step 14: While on low flame, put 1 spoon of Kashmiri red chili powder in the kadai and stir it for a few seconds. Keep the flame of the gas low at all times otherwise, it will burn the chili powder.
Step 15: Now, add the freshly prepared butter chicken masala paste to the kadai.
Step 16: Keep the masala simmering on low heat, and keep stirring it regularly to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the kadai.
Step 17: Once the water content in the masala starts to boil, the entire masala will start to bubble rapidly. At this stage, it is important not to add any water to the masala as that will hamper its cooking process and give the gravy an unpleasant raw taste.
Step 18: To fasten the cooking process of the masala, cover it with a lid but keep stirring it at regular intervals. The lid will also help in containing the spluttering of the masala and prevent it from causing any unwanted injuries.
Step 19: Once the water content in the butter chicken masala has dried up completely and has become thick and creamy in consistency, it means the masala is now ready for the next step.
Step 20: For the final step, add around 1-2 cups of water to the masala to give it the consistency of a thick gravy. Here, you have the option to decide whether you want your dish to be thick or slightly runny in consistency.
Combine The Gravy/Sauce And The Chicken Pieces
Step 1: Let the gravy simmer and keep stirring it for a few more minutes before adding the roasted chicken pieces to it.
Step 2: Stir the roasted chicken pieces in the gravy for a couple of minutes on medium to high flame to allow the two elements to completely infuse with each other. Cooking the roasted chicken pieces in the gravy will also allow it to cook through completely as well.
Step 3: At this stage, if you feel the gravy is once again becoming a bit too thick for your liking, you can add a cup of water to the kadai.
Step 4: Once the dish has been simmering for a few minutes, reduce the heat and add 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp cream, a pinch of salt, and a generous sprinkle of Kasuri methi.
Step 5: Give the dish one final stir to combine all the ingredients. Turn off the gas and transfer the dish to a clean serving bowl. Your tasty butter chicken dish is ready to serve with either a hot and crispy naan, a soft tawa roti, or some plain steamed basmati rice.
That’s it, guys! If you have any feedback or suggestions regarding this recipe, feel free to mention them in the comments section below.
Happy Eating!