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Butter Chicken

By Groceree

Also known as Murgh makhani

Delhi's murgh makhani as it is cooked at home: yogurt-marinated chicken charred under the grill, then folded into a smooth tomato and cashew sauce finished with butter, cream and crushed fenugreek leaves.

Last updated

Butter chicken in a glossy orange sauce with a swirl of cream and fresh coriander
Servings
4 servings
Prep
25 min
Cook
45 min
Total
2 h 10 min

Ingredients

Marinade

  • boneless chicken thighs800 g
  • plain yogurt150 g
  • lemon juice1 tbsp
  • garlic4 clove
  • fresh ginger1 tbsp
  • Kashmiri chilli powder2 tsp
  • ground turmeric½ tsp
  • garam masala1 tsp
  • salt1 tsp
  • vegetable oil1 tbsp

Sauce

  • butter70 g
  • garlic4 clove
  • fresh ginger1 tbsp
  • green chillies1–2
  • chopped tomatoes800 g
  • cashews60 g
  • Kashmiri chilli powder1 tsp
  • sugar1 tsp
  • garam masala1 tsp
  • dried fenugreek leaves1 tbsp
  • double cream150 ml
  • salt
  • water100 ml

To serve

  • fresh coriander1 handful
  • basmati rice (optional)
  • naan (optional)

Instructions

Marinade

  1. 01

    Crush the and grate the . Stir the , the , the crushed , the grated , the , , and together in a large bowl. Cut the into bite-sized pieces, add them and turn until every piece is coated. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

  2. 02

    Heat the grill to its highest setting. Spread the over a foil-lined tray in a single layer, brush with the and grill for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until the edges are charred and the is just cooked through, with no pink in the middle. Set aside with any juices from the tray.

Sauce

  1. 03

    Crush the , grate the and slit the lengthways. Melt half the in a large pan over medium heat. Add the crushed , the grated and the slit green chilli and fry for 1 minute until fragrant but not coloured.

  2. 04

    Tip in the , , and with 100 ml of . Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the is thick and the are completely soft.

  3. 05

    Blend the until perfectly smooth with a stick blender. For the silky texture of a good makhani, push it through a sieve back into the pan; it is worth the 2 extra minutes.

  4. 06

    Stir in the , the remaining and the over low heat. Crush the between your palms over the pan and stir them through. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, until the is glossy and the has melted into it.

  5. 07

    Add the grilled and its juices and simmer for 5 minutes more so the flavours settle. Taste and season with , loosening with a splash of water if the has gone past pourable.

  6. 08

    Chop the , scatter it over and serve with or .

Notes

  • Dried fenugreek leaves, sold as kasuri methi, are what make the sauce taste of butter chicken rather than of tomatoes and cream. Nothing else stands in for them, so leave them out rather than swap them.
  • The cashews thicken the sauce and round off the tomatoes. Three tablespoons of ground almonds do the same job if that is what is in the cupboard.
  • The sauce keeps for 3 days in the fridge and freezes for up to 3 months. Freeze it before the cream goes in and stir the cream through after reheating.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
800 kcal
Protein
45 g
Carbs
19 g
Fat
60 g

Estimated from the ingredients.

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