Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
Try this Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 onions chopped
- 3 tbsp oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 kg boneless chicken thighs cut into small pieces
- juice of 1 lime (generous squirt of lemon juice wo
- 1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your taste)
- 8 - 10 twist of peppermill
- 1 1/2 tsp powdered cardamom seeds
- 2 dollops (large tbsp) yogurt
- 2 tsps garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 3 tsps coriander cumin powder
- 1 tub passata (500g sainsbury's box)
- 2 tbsps kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1/2 tub single fresh cream
- coriander leaves to garnish
- Carbohydrate 6.31357546505544 g
- Cholesterol 22.8773437598108 mg
- Fat 49.2633684738434 g
- Fiber 1.48242121278407 g
- Protein 0.79524266093192 g
- Saturated Fat 10.7552141971463 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Portion (360g)
- Sodium 936.352658745989 mg
- Sugar 4.83115425227137 g
- Trans Fat 2.58641277421464 g
- Calories 461 calories
Step-by-step
- Wash chicken then add lime juice, salt and red chilli powder powder, pepper and yogurt. Cling wrap and set aside.
- Add oil in a pot on medium heat when the oil starts to haze add the bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
- Now add the onions.
- Fry till golden brown and then add the ginger and garlic paste.
- Now add the powders - coriander cumin powder, cardamon powder, turmeric and about a tsp of salt.
- Add chicken and mix well allowing the chicken to cook in the juices for a few minutes, then add the tomato passata, and Kasoori methi.
- Allow to simmer till sauce thickens.(Don't worry about the deep red colour it will change when you add the cream)
- Add garam masala. and the butter and allow to bubble away for a few minutes.
- Stir then drizzle in the fresh cream. Stir whilst doing this and stop when you have desired colour.
- Add some chopped coriander leaves and place in oven on low heat until you are ready to serve. (Or warm through on the hob on very low heat.)
- Taste and adjust chilli, salt, etc but if you find it too tangy just add a tsp of brown sugar. This is not a hot dish but if you've been over zealous with the chilli add more cream - the cream will soften the flavour - you want the cardamon flavour just coming through.
Overcooking boneless chicken thighs during the initial searing phase ruins the final dish by making the meat stringy and dry. Achieving a tender result requires allowing the chicken to release its natural moisture into the tomato passata rather than aggressively browning the pieces beforehand. Simmering the sauce on low heat until the liquid reduces by half concentrates the tomato flavor without requiring expensive commercial reductions. Crushing the dried fenugreek leaves completely between bare palms before adding them releases essential oils efficiently, preventing bitter leaf fragments from disrupting the smooth sauce. Adjusting acidity levels utilizes a simple pinch of brown sugar to balance tart passata without adding extra dairy products. Dietary modifications remain straightforward because coconut cream serves as an effective 1:1 volume substitution for single fresh cream when dairy must be avoided. Porous ceramic pots distribute heat evenly across medium burners, preventing scorching during the crucial onion-frying stage.
The Chemistry of Cream Integration
Stirring single fresh cream into simmering tomato bases requires lowering the burner output to avoid curdling the dairy fats. Maintaining a gentle bubble for precisely three minutes melds the butter and cream into a cohesive emulsion that coats the back of a spoon cleanly.Managing Spice Balance
Adding garam masala at the final stage preserves volatile aromatic compounds that degrade under prolonged high heat. Tossing crushed cardamom seeds into the base spice mixture alongside turmeric provides depth that persists through the extended simmering window.
