Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
Tender chicken in a velvety tomato cream sauce with butter, mildly spiced and deeply aromatic.
- Preparation
- 25 min
- Cook/bake time
- 35 min
- Total
- 2 hr
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
Tender chicken in a velvety tomato cream sauce with butter, mildly spiced and deeply aromatic. The meat is first marinated in yogurt and seared over high heat before being added to the sauce, because these roasted aromas are the difference to just any curry dish. The most accessible introduction to Indian cuisine.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Marinate the chicken
Mix the yogurt with garlic, ginger, Garam Masala, turmeric, cumin, and salt, and thoroughly coat the chicken pieces with it. Let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour, preferably overnight. The lactic acid in the yogurt tenderizes the meat and carries the spices deep inside, instead of just laying them on the outside.
- 2
Sear over high heat
Heat a heavy skillet without fat until really hot and sear the marinated chicken in batches for two minutes per side, until it gets dark, almost black roasted spots. It does not need to be cooked through yet. These roasted aromas imitate the tandoor oven and are the most important flavor carrier of the whole dish.
- 3
Onion base
Melt the butter in the same pot and sauté the onions over medium heat for eight to ten minutes, until they are soft and golden yellow. Add garlic and ginger and fry for one minute. Then sprinkle Garam Masala, paprika, and chili powder over them and roast for thirty seconds in the fat, until intensely fragrant.
- 4
Simmer the sauce
Pour in the tomato purée, loosening the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the sauce simmer uncovered over low heat for fifteen minutes, until it has thickened significantly and the fat separates at the edges. Then purée it really finely with an immersion blender, because the velvety texture is what makes this dish.
- 5
Finish
Stir in the cashew butter, heavy cream, and sugar, and return the seared chicken along with any accumulated juices to the pot. Let everything gently simmer for eight minutes, until the meat is cooked through. Finally, rub the Kasuri Methi between your palms over the sauce, its slightly bittersweet aroma is the scent you know from Indian restaurants.
