Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

A classic Delhi dish of marinated chicken simmered in a velvety tomato, butter and cream sauce fragrant with garam masala and dried fenugreek. Serve with hot naan or basmati rice to soak up every drop of the glossy gravy.

Prep

45 min

Cook

50 min

Total

95 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •700 g (1½ lb) boneless skinless chicken thighs, thighs stay juicier than breast; cut into 3 cm chunks
• •150 g (⅔ cup) plain full-fat yogurt
• •30 g (2 tbsp) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• •10 g (2 tsp) Kashmiri red chilli powder, for colour with mild heat; substitute 1 tsp paprika + ½ tsp cayenne
• •8 g (1 tbsp) garam masala, divided: 1 tsp in marinade, 2 tsp in sauce
• •8 g (1 tbsp) ground cumin
• •6 g (1 tbsp) ground coriander
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt, divided
• •25 g (1½ tbsp) fresh ginger, finely grated, divided
• •20 g (4 cloves) garlic, crushed into a paste, divided
• •80 g (⅓ cup) unsalted butter, divided; Indian white butter (ghee or makhan) is traditional but European butter works well
• •400 g (14 oz (1 can)) whole peeled tomatoes, good-quality tinned; crushed by hand or blended smooth
• •15 g (1 tbsp) tomato paste
• •5 g (2 tsp) dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), essential for the signature aroma; do not skip
• •120 g (½ cup) heavy/double cream, plus extra to swirl on top
• •5 g (1 tsp) caster sugar, balances acidity
• •10 g (¼ cup loosely packed) fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Steps

1. 1 Make the marinade: in a large bowl combine the yogurt, lemon juice, Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp garam masala, cumin, coriander, 1 tsp salt, half the ginger and half the garlic. Add the chicken and mix well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight for deeper flavour.
2. 2 Cook the chicken (the traditional tandoor step, approximated at home): preheat the oven to 240 °C / 465 °F / gas 9 with a wire rack on the top third. Thread the marinated chicken onto metal skewers and set them across a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until lightly charred at the edges and the chicken reads 74 °C / 165 °F on an instant-read thermometer. (Alternatively, sear the chicken in a hot heavy skillet with a tablespoon of butter for 3 to 4 minutes total to get some colour.) Set aside. Discard the used marinade.
3. 3 Make the sauce: melt half the butter (40 g) in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the remaining ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
4. 4 Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes until it darkens and smells sweet. Pour in the tomatoes, season with the remaining salt, and simmer vigorously for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened and reduced by about a third and the raw tomato smell has cooked off.
5. 5 Blend the sauce: remove from the heat and blend carefully with a stick blender (or in a countertop blender, vented) until completely smooth and velvety. Return to the pan.
6. 6 Finish the sauce: stir in the remaining garam masala (2 tsp) and the dried fenugreek (crumble it between your palms as you add it to release the oils). Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the cream and sugar and stir to combine; do not boil hard or the cream may split — keep it at a gentle simmer.
7. 7 Add the chicken: slip the roasted chicken and any juices into the sauce along with the remaining butter (40 g), cut into small pats. Simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes, turning the pieces, until the chicken is heated through to 74 °C / 165 °F and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
8. 8 Taste and adjust salt and sugar. Serve hot, swirled with a tablespoon of cold cream and scattered with fresh coriander, alongside hot naan or steamed basmati rice.