One of the most popular curries at Indian restaurants worldwide is Butter chicken. This Butter Chicken recipe is one of the tastiest you will taste, with flavorful golden chicken chunks in a fantastic creamy curry sauce. Butter Chicken is incredibly simple to cook and has juicy, tender chicken thanks to a delightfully spiced yogurt marinade. The curry sauce is incredible! We know that you all adore meals with vibrant, strong flavors, and nothing beats sitting down to a delicious curry to end a hectic day. You can enter an entirely different universe just by the aromas. With garlic butter rice and freshly cooked Naan bread, you’ll adore how simple it is to prepare in the comfort of your home.
What Gives this Dish its Name, Butter Chicken?
In 1948, Northern India was the birthplace of the butter chicken dish. You may have noticed that Kundan Lal Gujral’s Butter Chicken (also known as murgh makhani, which translates to “chicken with butter”) is comparable to the British dish known as tikka masala.
The curry sauce’s silky smooth and creamy texture are due to its preparation in buttery gravy, followed by the addition of cream. It is common knowledge that most restaurants put in enormous amounts of butter, which, as a consequence, might leave you feeling bloated or uncomfortable due to the slick of fat that is left behind.
Nevertheless, while trying various versions of the recipe, we discovered that we like the sauce best when it is begun with ghee (clarified butter or you can use a combination of half regular butter and half oil). When making an authentic butter chicken, adding cream at the end of the cooking process will give the dish the desired level of richness. Our version, which has significantly less oil, will leave you feeling good and fulfilled.
Best Indian Butter Chicken Recipe
Here is how to make this simple chicken curry step by step. It’s a very simple recipe that doesn’t require much time or effort to make at home.
Ingredients Required
For the Chicken and Marinade:-
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into roughly 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup full-fat yogurt
- One tablespoon of olive oil
- One tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
- One teaspoon of ground coriander seed
- One teaspoon Kashmiri Lal Mirch
- One teaspoon cumin
- Salt according to taste
For the Sauce:-
- 8 to 10 whole almonds
- 8 to 10 whole cashews
- Two tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- One tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- One teaspoon sugar
- 1 (15–ounce) can of diced tomatoes
- Two tablespoons dried coriander seed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Kashmiri Lal Mirch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tablespoon Kasuri Methi
Directions
1. Marinate the Chicken
Combine it with the remaining marinade ingredients in a big basin. Massage the marinade into the chicken using your hands. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight while wrapped in plastic.
2. Soak Cashews and Almonds
Before preparing the rest of the ingredients, soak the cashews and almonds in water for at least an hour (or as long as overnight).
3. Cook the Chicken
A skillet or grill pan should be heated to medium-high heat. A spoonful of oil should be added to the pan. Working in batches, take the chicken from the marinade and cook it on the grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side (clear juice runs out of it when you cut into it). Avoid packing the pan. Put the chicken in a different dish after it has finished cooking. Cover and leave out until later.
4. Make the Sauce
On medium-low heat, melt 1 1/2 teaspoons of the butter in a medium Dutch oven or skillet. Add the sugar after the butter has melted, then the ginger and garlic paste. For one to two minutes, sauté.
Add the tomato and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes at medium-high heat, draining off all the excess liquid. The sauce ought to have a loose, paste-like texture.
Salt, Kashmiri Lal Mirch, coriander, and garam masala should be added. For two to three minutes, stir and simmer on medium heat. Cut the heat off.
5. Mix the Sauce with Nuts
Place the paste in a food processor or blender bowl. The almonds and cashews that have been soaked. Making a smooth paste.
6. Finish the Dish
Re-add the paste to the frying pan and heat it to completion. To create a smooth sauce, mix the paste with the water.
Add the heavy cream and grilled chicken as the sauce starts to boil. Good stirring For five minutes, cover the pan and simmer.
7. Rest the Dish
After removing the pan from the heat, give the butter chicken a rest. Add the Kasuri methi and the last 1/2 tablespoon of butter, and stir. To allow the taste of the Kasuri methi to blend with the butter chicken, cover the dish once again and allow it to sit for 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Ready to serve
Serve the dish with roti, naan, or steaming basmati rice. For five days, keep leftovers covered and chilled.
The Main Spices for Butter Chicken
Kashmiri Lal Mirch:– Butter chicken’s vibrant color and name are derived from Kashmiri Lal Mirch, a type of red chile from Kashmir’s northern region. Although great selections are available online, I typically purchase mine from our neighborhood Indian store. (To get around this, add a few drops of red food coloring to the dish to make it look more colorful if you can’t find this spice.)
Ginger and garlic paste:– If you want to expedite the process, purchase a jar of ginger garlic paste from a nearby specialized food store or order one online, such as Rani Ginger Garlic paste. Traditionally, freshly grated ginger and garlic are used to make the paste.
Kasuri Methi:- A type of fenugreek leaves, is the true unsung hero in this symphony of spices. Even though it’s used in a very small amount, the dish’s earthy flavor balances the cream’s richness and the complexity of the spices. It elevates the dish to a completely new level.
Butter Chicken vs. Chicken Tikka Masala
Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are two different dishes, yet some people confuse the two. Some people may also find that the two are visually and gustative comparable. The primary distinction is in the manner in which it is prepared.
Even more crucially, butter chicken was first created in India. Still, chicken tikka masala is considered the national dish of the United Kingdom due to its origins in the United Kingdom.
Which Seasonings Work Best with Butter Chicken?
To prepare a fantastic sauce, you only need a few simple spices, such as garam masala, turmeric, cumin, red chili powder, and salt. These spices can be found very easily. It’s possible that some of these are already stashed away in the cupboards of your kitchen. If you do not, there is no question that you will make use of them once more.
What Kind of Cream is Typically Used in Indian Dishes?
The “malai,” simply fresh cream, is the “secret ingredient” in this recipe. The use of fresh cream lends the meal a velvety texture while enriching the flavor and taming the dish’s spiciness. In some recipes, a small amount of fresh cream added at the end gives the meal a luxurious, creamy texture and works wonderfully with the meat or veggies.
What is it that Gives Curry its Complex Flavor?
You may enhance the flavor of your meats and make them more tender by marinating them. Traditional Indian marinades typically include yogurt, spices, and spice powders like garam masala. When adding additional water, use caution because adding too much will cause your curry to become watery. Put in a pinch of ground garam masala powder at the end of the cooking process to boost the taste and scent of your curry.
Do you Use Coconut Milk in your Indian Curries?
When prepared in India, it is not typical to include coconut milk in a curry meal. People in the north of the country typically just add water or perhaps a very small amount of cream and butter. Most Indians will use pureed tomatoes or onions to achieve a thicker consistency. Curries from South India are more likely to have a sweetness added to them by coconut milk.
What is the Key to Making a Delicious Curry?
You need to work swiftly in the kitchen to produce a tasty curry. In most cases, you will fry your curry rather than boiling it. The cooking process will be halted as soon as you add the cold base gravy to the pan because this will effectively cool the pan down. When you add the ingredients to a skillet that already has the base gravy boiling, the cooking process is continued even after the components have been added.
What Made it Enhance the Flavor of An Indian Curry?
Add yogurt or lemon juice.
If you want your food to taste sour, you can finish it by mixing in some lemon juice or yogurt. Another option is to use vinegar. This will impart a sour taste to the curry and intensify its flavor.
Conclusion
Butter Chicken is one of the most popular curries at Indian restaurants. In 1948, Northern India was the birthplace of the butter chicken dish. Kundan Lal Gujral’s Butter Chicken (also known as murgh makhani) is comparable to tikka masala.
Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are two different dishes, yet some people confuse the two. The great thing about this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time if you need to or want to. Refrigerate for up to 48 hours after letting it cool and storing it in an airtight glass jar or container.
Before adding your chicken, those complex flavors will have plenty of opportunities to emerge and flourish. This is all optional, of course. Butter Chicken is the only Indian dish worth preparing at home, and this is the BEST butter chicken you will ever have!
