Butter Chicken Recipe (Indian Chicken Makhani)
Equipment
Ingredients
Marinade
boneless chicken thighs or breasts (raw)
500 g
lemon juice
15 ml
salt
2 g
Kashmiri red chili powder
3 g
garam masala
4 g
kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 g
turmeric
0.5 g
cumin powder
2 g
coriander powder
2 g
oil
15 ml
ginger garlic paste
15 g
Greek yogurt or hung curd
80 g
Sauce
butter
30 g
ginger garlic paste
15 g
green chili
10 g
Kashmiri red chili powder
5 g
garam masala
6 g
cumin powder
2 g
coriander powder
3 g
kasuri methi
2 g
cinnamon stick
1 piece
green cardamom
4 piece
cloves
4 piece
onion
130 g
tomatoes
600 g
cashews
42 g
water
350 ml
Instructions
Prepare the chicken
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Add salt, lemon juice and Kashmiri chili powder. Mix well, cover and rest for 20 minutes.
Marinate the chicken
Add ginger garlic paste, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, kasuri methi and Greek yogurt. Mix thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Prepare onions for sauce
Heat oil in a pan and sauté sliced onions until lightly golden, about 7-8 minutes. Cool slightly and add to a blender.
Make tomato-cashew puree
Add tomatoes, cashews and half cup water to the blender. Blend to a smooth puree. Optionally grind cashews separately for creamier texture.
Temper spices for sauce
Heat butter in a pan. Add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Once sizzling, add ginger garlic paste and green chilies. Fry 1-2 minutes until raw smell disappears.
Add powdered spices
Turn off heat and stir in Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, cumin and coriander powder.
Simmer the tomato puree
Pour in the tomato-cashew puree. Mix well and bring to a boil. Partially cover and simmer 12-15 minutes until thick, stirring often.
Add cashew cream and water
Stir in the cashew cream if made separately. Pour 1½ cups hot water and mix well. Simmer partially covered 10 minutes until sauce thickens.
Grill the chicken
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Place chicken pieces without crowding. Fry 2 minutes per side until just cooked and moisture evaporates. Optional: increase heat to brown slightly.
Finish the butter chicken
Add grilled chicken to the thickened sauce. Simmer 2-3 minutes so flavors meld. Remove whole spices if desired. Serve hot with rice or naan.
Original recipe
Storage
Sauce may thicken in fridge; add water when reheating to restore consistency
Try Chopa today
Save recipes, plan meals, and manage your groceries — all in one app.