How to Make Butter Chicken at Home

About Butter Chicken:

Butter Chicken or Chicken makhani is a North Indian non-vegetarian dish, which is very famous in countries all over the world where Indian restaurants are found.  Butter chicken is basically grilled chicken cooked in a smooth buttery and creamy tomato gravy, spices, and herbs.  This is a very famous North Indian dish, which goes well with roti, plain paratha, any kind of seasoned rice, or with naan.

Ingredients:

• 500 grams of boneless chicken pieces.
• 2-3 medium sized onion roughly chopped.
• 2-3 medium sized tomatoes roughly chopped.
• 2-3 tablespoons of mustard oil or any kind of cooking oil.
• 1 teaspoon Kashmir red chilli powder.
• 6-8 cubes of butter.
• 3-4 green chillies or to taste.
• 10-12 cashew nuts.
• 1 back cardamom.
• 2-3 green cardamoms.
• 3-4 cloves.
• 7-8 black peppercorns.
• 2 bay leaves.
• 1 cinnamon stick.
• 1/2 cup hung curd.
• 1/2 tablespoon honey/sugar or to taste.
• 1 teaspoon kaesuri mathi (dried fenugreek leaves).
• 1 tablespoon of garlic ginger paste.
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
• Salt to taste.
• 8-9 garlic cloves.
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder.
• 2-3 tablespoons of fresh cream.
• 1-2 inches of ginger roughly chopped.
• Some finely chopped coriander leaves.
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala.

Note:  You may increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients depending on for how many people you are making for.

Method of Making Butter Chicken:

1.  Take a mixing bowl and add on 2 tablespoons of mustard oil or any kind of cooking oil and Kashmir red chilli powder and mix well.
2.  Then, add hung curd and whisk well.
3.  Then, add the garlic ginger paste, lemon juice, and salt to taste and mix well.
4.  Then, add the chicken pieces and coat the chicken pieces with the marination nicely and marinate the chicken for at least 15-20 minutes.
5.  While chicken is marinating, we will make the base of our butter chicken.
6.  Take a saucepan or kadai and add 2-3 cups water.
7.  Then, add on the chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, green chillies to taste, coriander powder, cashew nuts, garlic, ginger, 3-4 butter cubes, whole spices, and salt to taste and mix them well.
8.  Then, cover the lid and cook them on a medium flame for 15-20 minutes or until tomatoes are well cooked, soft and mushy.
9.  Then, turn off the flame and let the mixture to cool down.
10.  Then, take a blending jar and add the mixture and blend them into a smooth puree.
11.  Then, take a strainer and strain the puree.
12.  Then, take a kadai and turn on the flame.
13.  When kadai is hot, add 2-3 cubes of butter.
14.  When butter starts to melt, add on the pureed gravy and 1/2 tablespoon sugar or honey and mix well.
15.  Then, cover the lid and cook the gravy on a low flame for 10-15 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
16.  While gravy is cooking, we will grill the chicken.
17.  Take a grilled pan and turn on the flame.
18.  When pan is hot, add 1 tablespoons of mustard oil or any kind of cooking oil.
19.  When oil is smoking hot, add on the marinated chicken pieces and grill them on a medium to high flame until chicken is well cooked and light golden in colour from both sides.
20.  Then, turn off the flame and directly add on the grilled chicken pieces to the gravy.
21.  Then, add 1/2 teaspoon garam masala and kasuri mathi (dried fenugreek leaves) and mix well.
22.  Then, cover the lid and cook for another 3-4 minutes on a low flame.
23.  Then, add on the fresh cream and finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
24.  Then, turn off the flame and transfer the butter chicken to a serving bowl and garnish this with some fresh cream.
25.  Serve this butter chicken with roti, naan, paratha, rice, ghee rice, or with jeera rice.