Butter Chicken
🍛 Cuisine: Indian (North)
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) is a rich, creamy, mildly spiced tomato-based curry. Originally from Delhi, it's one of the most popular Indian dishes worldwide, enjoyed for its smooth texture and vibrant flavor.
⏱️ Time Required
Preparation: 15 min
Cooking: 30 min
🥗 Ingredients
- 500g boneless chicken (thighs or breasts), cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp chili powder (adjust to taste)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp butter (plus more for garnish)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder (Kashmiri chili for color)
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1½ cups tomato puree
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- ½ cup heavy cream (or more, to taste)
- Fresh cilantro (for garnish)
👨🍳 Instructions
- Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
- Heat a skillet or grill pan, add oil, and cook the marinated chicken until browned and cooked through. Set aside.
- In the same pan, add butter and sauté onions until golden.
- Add ginger-garlic paste; cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Stir in coriander, cumin, chili powder, and garam masala.
- Add tomato puree and cook 10–15 minutes until thickened.
- Add sugar and salt. Then stir in the cooked chicken and cream. Simmer for 5–10 minutes.
- Finish with a knob of butter if desired. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Serve hot with naan, roti, or basmati rice.