Try this Butter chicken recipe, or contribute your own.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 cloves
- salt as needed
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 tsp. ginger garlic paste
- 450 grams to 1/2 kg chicken (or 1 lb.) (bone-in or boneless)
- 3/4 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. red chili powder/ paprika
- 3/4 tsp. kasuri methi crushed or powdered dried fenugr
- 1/8 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. garam masala powder
- 3/4 tbsp. oil
- 1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 cup thick curd/ hung yogurt (or greek yogurt refer notes)
- one thin 2 inch cinnamon stick
- generous pinch of methi powder (fenugreek seeds po
- 1 to 2 green chilies slit
- 4 large tomatoes (pureed in the blender and filtered to re
- 1 tsp red chili powder / paprika (adjust to suit your ta
- 10 cashew nuts or blanched soaked almonds (refer note
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. garam masala powder
- 1/2 tbsp. kasuri methi crushed or powdered dried fenugreek l
- 1/4 tbsp. sugar
- 80 to 100 ml chilled cream (refer the notes)
- coriander leaves for garnishing
- Carbohydrate 3.35462333333577 g
- Cholesterol 20.3354166753873 mg
- Fat 7.97496750328992 g
- Fiber 0.61913334471484 g
- Protein 0.244632500034477 g
- Saturated Fat 4.93695533541688 g
- Serving Size 1 1 to 4 (25g)
- Sodium 206.631833356697 mg
- Sugar 2.73548998862093 g
- Trans Fat 0.637799500230305 g
- Calories 81 calories
Step-by-step
- Please follow the preparation work mentioned below before the step by step instructions. Wash chicken under running water and pat dry. Marinate with lemon juice, chili powder and salt for 20 minutes.
- Marinate chicken from step 1 with yogurt, kasuri methi, oil, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, and garam masala powder. Refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours, overnight works best.
- Grill the chicken in an oven or stove top. For stove top method, Add one tsp. butter and add the marinade. Fry on high flame till all the moisture evaporates. Keep stirring constantly to prevent burning. Cook till it is cooked. Transfer this to a plate and set aside. To grill it in oven, preheat the oven to 240 C for atleast 20 mins. Grill it until the meat is cooked well. It may take about 20 to 30 mins depending on the size of your chicken chunks.
- Heat a pan with butter, add dry spices and fry for a min or two. Add ginger garlic paste, green chilies and fry till it turns fragrant.
- To the pan, add the tomato puree, red chili powder, sugar and salt. Mix and cook until the tomato puree becomes thick and begins to leave the sides of the pan
- Pour 1 cup water and add methi powder, cashew or almond paste or almond milk. Adjust the water to suit your desired consistency
- Bring the mix to a boil and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Add kasuri methi and garam masala now, or add at a later step for the best aroma
- Add chicken and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes till it becomes soft and tender.
- Add garam masala, kasuri methi. Stir and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour chilled cream and switch off the stove.
- Garnish punjabi murgh makhani with coriander leaves and extra cream if desired.
Velvety tomato emulsion enveloping tender charred poultry creates a dish where dairy and acid balance through careful simmering. Thickening the sauce requires filtering blended tomatoes to remove skins and seeds, which prevents grainy textures from forming in the final sauce. Marinating protein in stages—first with lemon and salt, then with thick curd and spices—breaks down surface fibers while driving aromatics deep into the meat. Grilling chunks at a high temperature of 240 degrees Celsius develops necessary surface char before the pieces enter the simmering sauce. Freezing this preparation works well if the cream is omitted entirely before storage. Incorporate chilled dairy only after thawing and gently reheating the base on the stovetop, because boiling dairy causes unwanted curdling and breaks the emulsion. Scaling quantities upward requires caution with dried spices like kasuri methi and garam masala, since doubling aromatics directly often overpowers the sauce. Whole spices such as green cardamoms and cinnamon sticks should also be monitored carefully when multiplying portions, as their potency scales non-linearly. Storing the cooked base without cream in an airtight container for up to three months provides reliable meal-prepping utility. Thawing frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator preserves the structural integrity of the cashew or almond nut paste used for thickening. Reheating gently over low heat prevents the fat from separating from the tomato solids.
