Best Indian Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) is one of the most popular Indian curries all around the world. Learn to make the best homemade Indian butter chicken using my easy recipe.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts (500 g)
- 2 tbsp thick yogurt (dahi, curd) (or Greek yogurt)
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cashew nuts
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 2-3 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 2 whole black cardamoms (badi elaichi)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 3-4 clove (laung)
- 3-4 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
- 3 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- salt (to taste)
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 oz khoya (50 g, crumbled)
- 2 oz processed cheese (50 g, shredded)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened heavy cream
- 2 tsp Kasuri methi
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
Instructions
- 1
Wash the chicken breasts and drain any extra water. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes.
- 2
Mix the chicken pieces with thick yogurt, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala powder, lime juice, and salt.
- 3
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the chicken for 2-3 hours or better overnight. The longer the chicken marinates, the softer and juicier it will turn out.
- 4
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- 5
Arrange the marinated chicken on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Lining the tray with foil makes the clean-up super easy.
- 6
Roast for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is nicely browned and tender.
- 7
Note - You can broil the ready chicken for 5 minutes to get that charred color and flavor.
- 8
Note – You can also grill the marinated chicken in a skillet over the stovetop.
- 9
Heat 4 cups of water in a pan over medium-high heat.
- 10
When it comes to a boil, add cashew nuts, tomatoes, onions, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, and black peppercorns.
- 11
Cook for 8-10 minutes on medium heat.
- 12
Drain the water and add the boiled ingredients to a blender along with ½ cup of water.
- 13
Blend to make a smooth paste.
- 14
Pass the paste through a fine-mesh strainer. Keep pressing the paste with the back of a spoon to get maximum smooth paste. Discard the rough residue.
- 15
Heat butter in a pan over medium-high heat.
- 16
Once the butter is melted, add Kashmiri red chili powder and saute for 2-3 seconds. Adding red chili powder to hot butter gives a lovely color to the curry.
- 17
Note – Be quick after adding the red chili powder otherwise it may burn.
- 18
Add the cashew nut paste to the pan along with ½ cup water and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- 19
Now add salt, ketchup, khoya, processed cheese, heavy cream, Kasuri methi, honey, and lime juice to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- 20
Remove the chicken from the oven and add it to the pan. Adjust the gravy by adding more water if needed. Check for salt and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- 21
Garnish with cream swirls and serve hot.