Cooking Chicken Murg Makhani

An Indian dish, popular in countries all over the world. The origins of butter chicken can be traced back to Delhi, during the period of Mughal Empire

Butter Chicken is among the best known Indian foods all over the world. Its gravy can be made as hot or mild as you like so it suits most palates. Also commonly known as Murg Makhani, Butter Chicken tastes great with Kaali Daal (black lentils), Naans and a green salad. This is my recipe for Butter Chicken and it is the real deal! It has been tried and tested numerous times and is loved by everybody that has eaten it. I hope you will like it too.
Along with Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken is without a doubt one of the most well known Indian dishes around the world. But unlike Chicken Tikka Masala, which is sometimes claimed as a national dish of the UK, Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) is decidedly of North Indian provenance.

Maybe it’s the name (can you think of a more decadent sounding name?), or perhaps it has a flavor profile that appeals across cultures. Whatever the reason, butter chicken has managed to find its way around the globe, showing up on menus from Toronto to Tokyo to Turin.

Ingredients:
250 gm of boneless chicken, cubed
2 onions, minced
1 tomato, pureed
1 tbsp of tomato paste or sauce
1 tbsp of butter, ghee, or oil
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of minced ginger
2 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp of chilli powder (use Kashmiri chilli powder for better results)
1 tsp of garam masala or chicken masala
1 large pinch of kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves
1 cup of milk
3 tbsp of cream or pureed cashew paste (soak and grind cashew nuts)
1-2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1 small bunch of coriander leaves / cilantro, for ganish

How to Make Butter Chicken:
Heat the butter in a pan and add the minced onions. Fry until golden brown
Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, and salt. Fry for a minute until fragrant
Add the pureed tomato and tomato paste and cook for 3-4 mins until the mixture bubbles uniformly
Thrown in the kasuri methi, milk, and the cubed chicken. Cook covered for 8-10 mins until the chicken is soft. The chicken will let out more water, just check once or twice in between and give the curry a stir. Keep the flame on sim
When the chicken is cooked soft, open the lid and cook for a further minute or two. If the gravy is too thick, add some water at this stage
When done, add the garam masala or chicken masala and the cream or cashew paste. Give it a good stir, but don't boil
Adjust salt, garnish with the coriander leaves, and remove from fire
Serve hot with tawa naan, vegetable pulao, or jeera rice