March 7, 2016

Butter Chicken

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Butter chicken or Murgh Makhani is one of the most popular Indian dishes of chicken. The dish was first developed by the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi. The dish retains many of the Mughlai trademarks: roasted meat, lots of spices, thick gravy of butter, cream, and tomato. Butter Chicken is traditionally cooked left on the bone and features more butter making it one the richest but mildly spiced curry.

It is a dish that has to be tasted, to believe how rich,  silky and sinfully delicious this is. One taste of this worldwide sensation and it will be a given on your menu forever. It only needs a few preparation steps and you shall be good to go in no time. And if you still don’t want to take my word on it, try making it yourself to believe it 🙂

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Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

500 grams Chicken with bone

For 1st marinade:

1 tblsp Lemon juice

1 tblsp Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

2 tblsp Butter

For 2nd marinade:

140g or 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or hung curd

2 tsp Ginger paste

2 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

For Gravy: 

2 tblsp Butter

2 Green Cardamom

2 Clove

2 -3 Black peppercorns

1 inch Cinnamon stick

1 Bay leaf

1 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Garlic paste

1 Onion, large size chopped or sliced

115g or 1/2 cup Tomato puree

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1 tblsp Honey

1/2 tsp Dried Fenugreek leaves or Kasoori methi

120 ml or 1/2 cup Fresh cream / low fat cream cheese

Coriander leaves, for garnish

METHOD:

  1. For the first marinade: Clean and wash chicken. Then mix red chilli powder, lemon juice, salt and set aside for half an hour in the refrigerator. You could use boneless cut pieces instead if you wish.
  2. Meanwhile prepare the second marinade mix. I used greek yogurt which is quite thick. If you are using regular yogurt, then hang it in a muslin cloth for fifteen to twenty minutes to remove extra water.
  3. Then combine ginger and garlic paste, red chilli and turmeric powder, salt and oil.
  4. Remove the chicken from refrigerator and apply this marinade to the chicken pieces. Marinate for upto 3-4 hours or overnight.
  5. Heat a pan on medium heat and add 1 tblsp butter and oil each.
  6. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side and remove from pan.
  7. In the same pan, add the remaining butter. Add the bay leaf, green cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon.
  8. Sauté for two minutes and then add the ginger garlic paste.
  9. Once the raw smell of ginger garlic disappears add the sliced onions and cook until translucent.
  10. Then add tomato puree and red chilli powder.
  11. Cook until the oil oozes out from the sides.
  12. Remove the bay leaf and transfer this mixture to a blender. Puree until smooth.
  13. If you wish for a smooth and silky paste, you can strain this puree. Else just transfer to the pan again and bring the mixture to a boil.
  14. Add the cooked chicken pieces and season with salt. Reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes.
  15. Add the honey and powdered fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi). If you wish to increase the tanginess – add a tblsp of tomato ketchup.
  16. Simmer for five minutes and then add the fresh cream. I used low cream cheese instead and it worked quite well.
  17. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapati or naan.

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I am sharing this goodness at  Angie’s Fiesta Friday with this week’s co-hosts Josette@thebrookcook and Lily@little sweet baker. For the first time I would like to bring this to  Saucy Saturdays with The Flavour Bender, Take Two Tapas, La Petit Chef and Mid-Life Croissant.

Have a lovely week ahead and remember to visit and subscribe to my Facebook Page: My Culinary Saga  to get regular yummy updates.

Find me on Pinterest: My Culinary Saga

Love & Hugs,

Trupti


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