Butter Chicken Restaurant Style | Best Ever Murgh Makhni | Not a Weightloss Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6 to 8 Servings
 
Ingredients
  • Chicken thigh – 1 kg, boneless & skinless, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Salt – 1 tsp
  • A few drops of refined oil
  • Butter – 50 gms
  • Sugar – ½ tsp
  • Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Marinade
  • Ginger-garlic paste – 3tsp
  • Onion – 1, pureed
  • Whisked curd – ½ cup
  • Coriander powder – 2 tsp
  • Cumin powder – 2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Red hot chilli powder – 2 tsp
  • Kashmiri chilli powder - ½ tsp
  • Juice of 1 lemon
Rich Tomato Gravy
  • Ripe red tomatoes – 10, large
  • A few drops of refined oil
  • Cooking butter – 50 gms (I use unsalted butter)
  • Ginger – 1 inch, chopped fine
  • Green chillies – 2, chopped fine
  • Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  • Red hot chilli powder – 1 & ½ tsp
  • Kashmiri chilli powder – 1 tsp
  • Cumin powder – 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder – 2 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Sugar – 1 tsp
  • Kasoori methi/dry fenugreek leaves – 1 tsp
  • Fresh cream – 4 to 5 tsp
Instructions
  1. To marinate the chicken, combine all the ingredients listed under marinade in a large mixing bowl and prepare an evenly mixed mixture. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix them well with the marinade so that the pieces are coated evenly on all sides. Cover with a cling film and marinate in the refrigerator for overnight or at least a couple of hours.
  2. While the chicken is marinating, prepare the rich tomato gravy.
Rich Tomato Gravy
  1. Give a criss cross cut at the bottom of each tomato and blanch them in boiling water for 10 minutes until they are soft. Then peel and deseed them and puree the flesh in a processor until they are completely lump-free.
  2. Heat a kadai or wok on medium heat and add both the butter and oil. Oil will prevent the butter from burning as it has a much higher smoking point.
  3. When the butter melts and the foam subsides a little, add the chopped ginger and green chilies and saute for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Make sure they do not burn.
  4. Add the spice powders listed under the tomato gravy and a splash of water. Cook them till they are richly colored and oil starts separating from them.
  5. Now add the fresh tomato puree and stir well to mix with the spices. Simmer on low heat till the sauce is thick and has a rich, deep red color with the raw smell gone.
  6. Add sugar to balance the acidity & tartness of the tomatoes. Season with salt to taste. Simmer for a couple of minutes more and then turn off the heat and set it aside to mature.
Cook the chicken & final assembly of butter chicken
  1. Take the marinated chicken out from the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature.
  2. Heat a heavy bottomed saute pan and add a few drops of oil and the butter.
  3. Once the butter is melted, add a few chicken pieces (without the marinating liquid) at a time and sear them on medium heat till they have a rich caramelized crust on them and are slightly charred on both sides; it would take about 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan with too many chicken at a time.
  4. When all the chicken are cooked, return all the seared chicken pieces to the pan and fry them all together. Add sugar, lemon juice and the leftover chicken marinade. Continue to cook them on medium heat until all the liquid is almost absorbed.
  5. Now add the prepared tomato gravy to the chicken and deglaze the pan to lift up the sticky pan deposits which have got a lot of flavors.
  6. Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring well to ensure the chicken is fully immersed and coated in the delicious gravy. Simmer uncovered to reduce & thicken the gravy.
  7. Add the thick cream & crushed kasoori methi and stir through to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes more to blend everything well.
  8. Finally add a knob of butter and enjoy this restaurant style butter chicken with naan/i]or [i]tandoori roti!
Notes
This is not a weightloss recipe which I am sure you already have guessed! Such classic recipes are also celebratory recipes as they call for special occasions! Enjoy these delicacies sparingly but when you do, do it to the fullest!
Recipe by Flavor Quotient at http://www.flavorquotient.com/2023/06/butter-chicken-restaurant-style/