This Butter Chicken calls for delicious spices and pays homage to an authentic Indian taste. The chicken is covered in a gloriously rich and thick, buttery sauce.
The sauce is thickened with ground cashews which also add a delightful richness to the overall flavor profile of the dish. Serve over cooked Basmati rice with some sliced Naan.
I like to bring out this recipe when I’m looking for a home cooked comfort meal. With its mild spices and creamy, buttery base, this Butter Chicken dish ought to satisfy even the pickiest eaters.
Butter Chicken
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What is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken is also known as, murgh makhani. It’s an Indian dish that’s made out of chicken pieces coated in a mildly spiced curry sauce. The recipe was originally made in Delhi, in the 1950’s, by a man named Kundan Lal Gurjal.
How Do You Make Butter Chicken?
If you’ve hesitated to make Butter Chicken at home before because you’ve heard it’s time-consuming and you need a lot of exotic spices you probably don’t have, let me tell you none of that is true.
This recipe doesn’t require a long marinating time like many others do. You can make it at home in about an hour and you really only need 4 spices besides salt and pepper. The spices you will need are chili powder, cumin, bay leaf and garam masala.
If you’re not familiar with garam masala it is a combination of spices, mixed together, frequently used in Indian cuisine. The good news is it’s now fairly commonly available commercially at most Supermarkets.
So, to prepare this dish you’ll begin to build the sauce by sauteing the aromatics until soft and tender. Then you will add the spices and toast them in the skillet with the aromatics to increase their flavors. You’ll then add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and simmer.
While the sauce is simmering, in a second skillet you will saute the cut up chicken pieces, in batches, so as not to crowd the pan, until nicely browned. The final step will be to pour the sauce over the browned chicken to unite the dish.
This recipe is a classic Indian dish that’s been a favorite in our family for years. Your nearest and dearest will love how the creaminess of the sauce offsets the aromatic spices. It’s a melt in your mouth chicken that is going to make them come back for more!
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 Shallot Finely Chopped
- 1 cup White Onion Finely Chopped
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 teaspoons Garam Masala
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Corriander
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 cup Tomato Puree
- 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup Plain Yogurt
- 2 tablespoons Cashews finely ground
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Chicken:
- 2 pounds Chicken Thighs Boneless, Skinless, Cut Into Bite Size Pieces
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
Instructions
For Sauce:
- In a large skillet, heat peanut oil over medium-high heat just until the oil is shimmering. Saute onions and shallots until tender.
- To the skillet, add, butter, lemon juice, garam masala, ginger garlic paste, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add tomato sauce to the skillet. Continue to cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Then, pour heavy cream, yogurt, and ground cashews. Reduce heat to low, stir frequently and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt. Turn off the heat and set aside.
For Chicken:
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, in batches so as to not crowd the pan, and brown over medium heat on both sides, about 10 minutes. Mix in the sauce and simmer until the sauce is reduced, making sure that the chicken is completely cooked.
- Pour the sauce over the browned chicken and simmer gently (adding more heavy cream or water as needed if sauce gets too thick) until the sauce is thick and the chicken is completely cooked about 10 minutes
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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