Butter Chicken Curry Recipe

Butter Chicken Recipe (Murg Makhani) is my Mother's favorite recipe and is also among the best known Indian foods all over the world. Butter chicken is usually served with naan, roti, parathas, ghee rice, jeera rice or plain steamed rice and its gravy can be made as mild or hot as you like so it suits most palates.

There are many stories surrounding the origin of Butter Chicken. According to a documentary by the Discovery Channel, the butter chicken recipe was invented by a person working in the kitchen staff of a famous restaurant called Moti Mahal located in Daryaganj, the central region of Delhi.

Butter Chicken Recipe Ingredients:

• Chicken: 1 kg or 2.2 lb
• Onion paste: 1 cup
• Tomato puree: 2 cups
• Ginger Garlic paste: 2 tbsp
• Green Chili: 2 nos
• Meat Masala powder: 2 tbsp
• Red Chili powder: 1 tbsp
• Food Color: 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala: 1 1/2 tbsp
• Dhania powder: 1 1/2 tbsp
• Kasoori Methi: 2 tbsp
• Butter: 100 gms
• Coconut paste (Optional) : 1/2 cup (Add more if you need more gravy)
• Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
• Cinnamon (Dalchini), Cloves (Lavang) and Cardamom (Elaichi) powder: Make 1/4 tsp of powder with 2 sticks of cinnamon, 4 cloves and 2 cardamom
• Salt to taste
• Coriander for garnish

Butter Chicken Recipe Cooking Method:

Chicken Marination

1. In a bowl add chicken, 1/2 cup onion paste, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp salt, food color and mix well. Keep aside for 1 hour.

 

Butter Chicken Curry or Gravy

1. In a pan on medium heat add butter. When the butter melts add the remaining onion paste and saute for around 5 minutes till the raw smell of onion no longer exists.
2. Add the green chili cut into long slices and ginger garlic paste to the mix and stir for 3 minutes.
3. Add tomato puree and cook for another 6 minutes
4. Then add 1/4 cup water.
5. Add dhani powder, meat masala powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, chili powder and mix well.
6. Now add the marinated chicken and cook for 15 minutes with a lid covering the pan on low heat.
7. At this stage add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom powder, kasoori methi and coconut paste. If you want more gravy you can add more water and salt.
8. Cook for another 10 minutes or so until the chicken is well cooked.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot. This delicious Butter Chicken goes very well with all types of Rotis and flavored rice like Ghee Rice and Jeera Rice.