Butter Chicken

Avatar photoAuthorSalmaCategoryDifficultyIntermediate

Murgh Makhani, boneless chicken pieces packed with flavours in a rich creamy spiced curry sauce.

Yields5 Servings
Prep Time30 minsCook Time45 minsTotal Time1 hr 15 mins

Marinating The Chicken
 2 Large chicken breasts
 ½ tsp Ginger paste/grated
 ½ tsp Garlic paste/grated
 ½ tbsp Lemon juice
 ½ tsp Chilli powder
 ½ tsp Coriander powder
 ½ tsp Tandoori masala (optional)
 ¼ tsp Salt to taste
 ¾ tbsp Unsalted butter
Masala
 2 Medium Onions
 4 tbsp Oil
 1 ½ tsp Ginger paste/grated
 1 ½ tsp Garlic paste/grated
 Salt to taste
 3 Bayleaves
 3 Cardamom pods
 3 sticks Cinnamon
 ½ tsp Cumin seeds (optional)
 2 tbsp Tomato puree
 ½ tsp Methi-Dry fenugreek leaves
 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
 5 tbsp Fresh coriander
 ¼ tsp Red food colour (optional)
Spices
 1 ¼ tsp Chilli powder
 1 ½ tsp Coriander powder
 ½ tsp Cumin powder
  tsp Garam masala

Marinating The Chicken
1

Clean the chicken pieces, cut in medium sized cubes, wash fully and drain. Place the chicken in a clean bowl.

Add all the ingredients to marinate the chicken:

Ginger paste/garlic 1/2 Tsp
Garlic paste/garlic 1/2 Tsp
Lemon juice 1/2 Tbs
Chilli powder 1/2 Tsp
Coriander powder 1/2 Tsp
Tandoori Masala 1/2 Tsp (optional)
Salt 1/4 Tsp

Mix this all in.

2

Place the marinated chicken on a baking tray. Add some butter evenly on top of the chicken pieces.

Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, cook on gas mark 6, 200c on fan assisted oven.

3

Turn the pieces around half way during the cooking time, I forgot to add the butter at the start so I added it when I turned the pieces around.

Do not over cook. Once done turn the oven off. Take the chicken out from the oven otherwise it will become too hard in the oven from the heat.

Making The Masala
4

In a non stick pan, add 4 tablespoons of oil. Adjust the oil if required. Once the oil is hot add in the whole spices.

Cook this on high heat for 2-3 minutes by stirring often.

5

Add the onions, salt, 1 & 1/2 teaspoon of garlic and 1 & 1/2 teaspoon of ginger.

I blended the onions as this gives a nice and smooth base.

You can use chopped onions, cook until the onions are soft and mash it with a potato masher before adding the spices. When you're cooking the chopped onions, if the base becomes too dry then add some hot boiled water and mix it in. This will prevent it from burning and the onions will cook nicely.

6

Cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes by stirring often.

7

Lower the gas and add in the spices.

Chilli powder 1 & 1/4 Tsp
Coriander powder 1 & 1/2 Tsp
Cumin powder 1/2 Tsp
Garam masala 1/2 Tsp

Add the fenugreek leaves/methi too, 1/2 Tsp.

Chilli powder can be adjusted to your taste.

8

Mix and cook this on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Make sure to stir at times.

9

The spices will become really dry, to prevent it from burning add a little amount of hot boiled water.

You can also add the food colour now.

Mix and cook this for the recommended time of 10-15 minutes.

Add more water if required during this stage.

10

Should look like this.

11

Add two tablespoons of tomato puree.

12

Mix it in.

13

Cook on low heat and add a bit more of hot boiled water if the masala is too dry.

14

Cook this on low heat for about 5 minutes, make sure to stir often.

15

Add two tablespoons of butter.

16

Put the heat up a bit and mix it in.

17

Add the chicken.

18

Mix it in and cook covered for 8-10 minutes, stir at times.

19

At this stage add 1/2 a cup of hot boiled water, so the base isn't too dry. After adding in the water, mix it in and cook on high heat for 5-6 minutes. Stir at times.

20

The consistency shouldn't be too dry or too runny.

21

Finally add 1/2 a cup of double cream.

22

Put the gas up and mix this in. Bring this to boil on high heat and let this cook for 4-5 minutes.

23

Should be like this.

24

Finally garnish with fresh coriander, mix this in and cook for a further two minutes under high heat and turn the gas off.

25

All done!

26

Serve with naan bread, plain rice, plain pilau rice or vegetable pilau rice.

Ingredients

Marinating The Chicken
 2 Large chicken breasts
 ½ tsp Ginger paste/grated
 ½ tsp Garlic paste/grated
 ½ tbsp Lemon juice
 ½ tsp Chilli powder
 ½ tsp Coriander powder
 ½ tsp Tandoori masala (optional)
 ¼ tsp Salt to taste
 ¾ tbsp Unsalted butter
Masala
 2 Medium Onions
 4 tbsp Oil
 1 ½ tsp Ginger paste/grated
 1 ½ tsp Garlic paste/grated
 Salt to taste
 3 Bayleaves
 3 Cardamom pods
 3 sticks Cinnamon
 ½ tsp Cumin seeds (optional)
 2 tbsp Tomato puree
 ½ tsp Methi-Dry fenugreek leaves
 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
 5 tbsp Fresh coriander
 ¼ tsp Red food colour (optional)
Spices
 1 ¼ tsp Chilli powder
 1 ½ tsp Coriander powder
 ½ tsp Cumin powder
  tsp Garam masala

Directions

Marinating The Chicken
1

Clean the chicken pieces, cut in medium sized cubes, wash fully and drain. Place the chicken in a clean bowl.

Add all the ingredients to marinate the chicken:

Ginger paste/garlic 1/2 Tsp
Garlic paste/garlic 1/2 Tsp
Lemon juice 1/2 Tbs
Chilli powder 1/2 Tsp
Coriander powder 1/2 Tsp
Tandoori Masala 1/2 Tsp (optional)
Salt 1/4 Tsp

Mix this all in.

2

Place the marinated chicken on a baking tray. Add some butter evenly on top of the chicken pieces.

Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, cook on gas mark 6, 200c on fan assisted oven.

3

Turn the pieces around half way during the cooking time, I forgot to add the butter at the start so I added it when I turned the pieces around.

Do not over cook. Once done turn the oven off. Take the chicken out from the oven otherwise it will become too hard in the oven from the heat.

Making The Masala
4

In a non stick pan, add 4 tablespoons of oil. Adjust the oil if required. Once the oil is hot add in the whole spices.

Cook this on high heat for 2-3 minutes by stirring often.

5

Add the onions, salt, 1 & 1/2 teaspoon of garlic and 1 & 1/2 teaspoon of ginger.

I blended the onions as this gives a nice and smooth base.

You can use chopped onions, cook until the onions are soft and mash it with a potato masher before adding the spices. When you're cooking the chopped onions, if the base becomes too dry then add some hot boiled water and mix it in. This will prevent it from burning and the onions will cook nicely.

6

Cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes by stirring often.

7

Lower the gas and add in the spices.

Chilli powder 1 & 1/4 Tsp
Coriander powder 1 & 1/2 Tsp
Cumin powder 1/2 Tsp
Garam masala 1/2 Tsp

Add the fenugreek leaves/methi too, 1/2 Tsp.

Chilli powder can be adjusted to your taste.

8

Mix and cook this on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Make sure to stir at times.

9

The spices will become really dry, to prevent it from burning add a little amount of hot boiled water.

You can also add the food colour now.

Mix and cook this for the recommended time of 10-15 minutes.

Add more water if required during this stage.

10

Should look like this.

11

Add two tablespoons of tomato puree.

12

Mix it in.

13

Cook on low heat and add a bit more of hot boiled water if the masala is too dry.

14

Cook this on low heat for about 5 minutes, make sure to stir often.

15

Add two tablespoons of butter.

16

Put the heat up a bit and mix it in.

17

Add the chicken.

18

Mix it in and cook covered for 8-10 minutes, stir at times.

19

At this stage add 1/2 a cup of hot boiled water, so the base isn't too dry. After adding in the water, mix it in and cook on high heat for 5-6 minutes. Stir at times.

20

The consistency shouldn't be too dry or too runny.

21

Finally add 1/2 a cup of double cream.

22

Put the gas up and mix this in. Bring this to boil on high heat and let this cook for 4-5 minutes.

23

Should be like this.

24

Finally garnish with fresh coriander, mix this in and cook for a further two minutes under high heat and turn the gas off.

25

All done!

26

Serve with naan bread, plain rice, plain pilau rice or vegetable pilau rice.

Notes

Butter Chicken
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