How To Make Indian Butter Chicken At Home
In Indian cuisine, the Butter Chicken is also known as “Murgh Makhani”. This creamy and rich curry features chicken that is both tender and has been cooked in a sauce fragrant with a tomato base.
Its spice-rich and creamy flavour makes for the perfect comfort dish, whether at home or out. But the surprise is that it is a very easy recipe to make yourself. In this article, we’ll show you how to make an authentic Butter Chicken in your kitchen.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinate:
- 500 grams boneless chicken (thighs or breasts), cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the Butter Chicken Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 3-4 ripe tomatoes, pureed
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder (adjust according to heat preference)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or fresh cream
- 1/4 cup water (adjust for consistency)
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- 1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves (optional)
Instructions to Make Indian Butter Chicken at Home
Marinate the Chicken
Start by making the chicken. Thoroughly mix the yoghurt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the small pieces of chicken, and stir apart the marinade. Stir until the pieces are evenly coated in the sauce.
Cover the chicken and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes. The yoghurt tenderizes the chicken and provides a mellow background flavour.
Cook the Chicken
Once marinated, grill or simply pan-fry the chicken. When grilling, preheat your grill to medium-high heat, and charcoal-cook the chicken pieces until lightly charred on both sides and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes in total.
If pan-frying, use a range burner set on medium heat. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan or skillet – whatever you like to call it – and brown the chicken on all sides until it’s cooked through. Put aside the cooked chicken.
Prepare the Sauce
In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and indulgently expensive oil (which prevents the butter from becoming black and vile) on medium flame.
Add the onion that has been chopped until it is fairly fine, and sauté until golden brown. This should take about 8-10 minutes. Then add minced garlic and ginger paste and cook another 1-2 more minutes until aromatic.
Add the Tomato Puree and Spices
When the onions are well cooked, pour in the pureed tomatoes and put under heat stirring it constantly. Stir until evenly mixed, then sprinkle in the chilli powder, garam masala and coriander and cumin stir again.
Medium heat and cook mixture for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and loses its raw tomato taste. At intervals add a spoonful of water so that it won’t stick to the bottom.
Finish the Sauce
Once the sauce has thickened, reduce heat and stir in heavy cream pulsing all at once. If the sauce is too thick, add 1/4 cup of water to adjust it. Pour salt to taste, and let the sauce simmer 5 minutes longer.
If qures Vegeta Potato Seasons, crush the fenugreek leaves between your palms and add to the sauce for extra flavour.
Combine the Chicken with the Sauce
Place the cooked chicken pieces in the sauce, and mix them well with the beautiful orange glaze. Bring it all together at low heat with the aromatics and allow them to merge for about 10 minutes.
The chicken is going to soak up all that amazing, creamy sauce it simmers in and makes the chicken so tender and flavorful.
Garnish and Serve
When your butter chicken is ready, take it off the stove and garnish it with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve your own wonderful homemade butter chicken with plain naan bread, basmati rice, or paratha.
Variations of Indian Butter Chicken Recipe
The basic Indian butter chicken recipe is fine by itself but there are a variety of tweaks and adaptations you can perform if you so desire to cater to your taste or specific dietetic requirements.
- Fire Spicy Butter Chicken: If you like a bit of heat, then add more chilli powder or fresh green chillies to the sauce. You can also sprinkle on some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes if desired.
- Dairy-Free Butter Chicken: For those of you who have lactose intolerance or follow a dairy-free diet, you can substitute coconut milk for the yoghurt in the marinade and use coconut cream instead of heavy cream. Coconut goes great with the spices and makes for a nice creaminess in this dairy-free life of mine.
- Vegetarian Butter Chicken: Substitute the chicken for paneer (Indian cottage cheese) or tofu and follow the same recipe! These paneer and tofu soak up the sauce on them so well, that they are a filling protein-packed substitute to chicken.
- Low-Fat Butter Chicken: Enjoy a lightened version of the classic dish by using low-fat yoghurt and subbing heavy cream with milk or half-and-half. Or, you can decrease the butter in the sauce or sub some olive oil for a portion of it.
Tips for Making Perfect Butter Chicken
- Use chicken thighs: Use chicken thighs as they are generally juicier and flavorful than the breasts, which are excellent for a butter chicken preparation.
- Marinate the chicken longer: The longer the chicken marinates, the more flavour it will absorb. Overnight marination is the best.
- Don’t skip the cream: The cream is so important because it gives you the luxurious, velvety-rich sauce that makes butter chicken just so good. Use cashew cream or coconut cream as a reducing agent for a non-dairy alternative.
- Adjust the spice level: The spice level in butter chicken is traditionally low you can turn up to heat with extra spices such as more chilli powder or fresh green chillies.
- Grill for extra flavour: Grilling the chicken before adding it to the sauce adds a smoky, charred flavour that enhances the overall taste of the dish.
Conclusion
One of the classics – butter chicken at home, is easy to prepare and yes we can control what ingredients go into it according to our taste buds. This all-purpose recipe is perfect for any way you enjoy your curry, mild and creamy or burning with spice.
Serve it with some sides, and you have dinner from your favourite restaurant but in the comfort of your own home!
Serve your butter chicken which is homemade and relish it with family along friends, do not forget to spread smiles by making this delightful dish.
