Butter Chicken Recipe (Indian Chicken Makhani)
By Swasthi on November 22, 2023, Comments, Jump to Recipe
Butter Chicken! The ultimate comfort food your entire family will love! Make the best flavour-packed, creamy and delicious authentic Indian Butter Chicken at home with this easy recipe. Serve it with Butter naan, Tandoori Roti, Chapati, Plain Paratha, Steamed fluffy Basmati Rice or Jeera rice for a simple Indian meal. In this post I share the recipe to make the authentic North Indian Butter Chicken known as Murgh Makhani.
This 10 year old recipe on my blog has been upgraded with plenty of tips & tricks, substitutes and notes to make one of the most flavorful & succulent Butter Chicken.
About Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken also known as Chicken Makhani is a classic Indian dish that’s made by simmering marinated & grilled chicken (Tandoori chicken) in a spicy, aromatic, buttery and creamy tomato gravy. This lip-smacking and delicious dish is hugely popular among the Indian food lovers across the world.
It is believed that Butter Chicken was invented during 1930 to 1935, by Kundan Lal Jaggi & Kundan Lal Gujral, the owners/partners of a restaurant named Moti Mahal in Delhi, India. The restaurant would usually have large orders of tandoori chicken but sometimes ended up with leftovers which were dry.
Butter Chicken was a way to use up the leftover dry Tandoori Chicken. The large pieces of grilled chicken were diced and simmered in a rich creamy and buttery tomato gravy. That’s how Murgh Makhani – Chicken Makhani came into existence.
Butter Chicken Vs Chicken Tikka Masala
Though Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala have a lot of similarities, they both differ in taste, texture and flavor. Chicken tikka masala is spicy, hot and the tikka masala gravy has onions included in it. But the original Butter chicken is low on the heat & spice quotient and does not include onions in the gravy.
However there are so many versions that use onions to impart natural sweeter tones and balance the sour taste of tomatoes.
More importantly Butter Chicken is cooked in butter whereas chicken tikka masala is cooked in oil. Butter Chicken has a smooth, rich and silky gravy/sauce but tikka masala has a texture from the chopped and caramelized onions.
How Is Butter Chicken Made?
The original & authentic Butter Chicken is made with tandoori grilled chicken. Firstly, bone-in chicken is marinated overnight with thick Hung curd (yogurt), spices and herbs. This marinade imparts tons of flavors to the meat, tenderizes it naturally & helps to remain succulent after grilling.
Later the marinated chicken is grilled in a tandoor, a clay oven which imparts its characteristic smoky aroma. This is then diced and simmered in a spicy buttery and creamy tomato gravy.
Since we are not equipped with tandoor at home, the marinated chicken has to be either roasted in a pan or in an oven or grilled on open fire (barbeque). For this post I have done it in a pan. Feel free to grill/bake the chicken in oven or on open fire.
More Chicken Recipes
Chicken Bhuna
Chicken Jalfrezi
Chilli Chicken
Chicken Curry
Chicken Masala
If you are new to Indian cooking, do read the Ingredients & substitutes and pro tips sections below. For the old readers – you can also find the original earlier recipe after the recipe card below.
How to make Butter Chicken (Stepwise Photos)
Marinade
For this recipe you require 500 grams (1.1 lbs) boneless chicken. You can use thighs or breasts like the way I use. A lot of people prefer thighs for the flavor and additional fats. If using chicken breasts be prepared to leave it in the marinade for a minimum of 12 hours for best results.
1. Here are the other ingredients required to marinate the chicken:
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (or paprika adjust to taste, reduce for kids)
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (optional, dried fenugreek leaves)
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (optional)
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon oil
- ¾ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or hung curd (read my pro tips)
2. Make sure there is no excess moisture on your chicken. Pat dry with kitchen tissues/paper, if required. Add red chili powder, salt and lemon juice. Mix well, cover and rest for 20 mins.
3. Later add ginger garlic paste, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, kasuri methi, turmeric and hung curd/ Greek yogurt. Mix well and cover. Let the chicken rest in the marinade for a minimum of 12 hours in the refrigerator. The longer you leave the more tender and juicer the chicken is going to be. You can leave this for a maximum of 48 hours.
Prepare for the sauce/gravy
4. When you are ready to make the sauce, prepare the following ingredients. Keep the chicken out of the refrigerator, as we don’t want to grill/ pan-fry the cold chicken.
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 cinnamon (2 inch piece, if using Ceylon cinnamon, feel free to use more)
- 4 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- ¾ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 to 2 green chilies (deseed,slit or chop, avoid for kids)
- 1 to 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika (adjust to suit your taste and color)
- 1 to 1½ teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste, divided)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (optional)
- 1 to 1½ teaspoon coriander powder (optional)
- ½ tablespoon kasuri methi crushed
5. I have updated this recipe to use onions. It is optional but helps to cut down the sour taste of the tomatoes, especially if you are using canned tomatoes or passata. Sauté 1½ cups (130 grams) sliced onions (1 medium onion) in 1 tablespoon oil until slightly golden, for 7 to 8 minutes. Cool down and add them to the blender.
6. To the same blender jar add 600 grams diced fresh tomatoes (4 large, makes 3 cups puree) or 1 cup passata, 28 cashews and half cup water. Grind to a smooth puree. Alternately, If you do not have a powerful blender, you may soak the cashews in ½ cup hot water for 30 mins and then puree them separately in a small coffee grinder like the way I did.
7. To make the cashew cream, I grind the cashews first to a powder and then add ¼ cup water and grind again. Pour another ¼ cup water and grind again. Puree them very smooth.
I leave the pureeing part for you to decide. Choose the method that works for you, depending on the kind of grinder/blender you own – together or separately but smoother the better.
Make Butter Chicken Sauce
8. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a pan. Add cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms. Once they begin to sizzle, add ginger garlic paste, green chilies (leave out for kids) and fry on a medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes till the raw smell goes away.
9. Do not burn.
10. Turn off the heat. Stir in the red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder and coriander powder.
11. Pour the puree. If your puree is not smooth strain it to the pan.
12. Use a sturdy spoon to strain and discard the residue.
13. Mix well and bring this to a boil on a medium high heat. Be careful as this can easily splatter.
14. Cover partially and let boil on a medium heat, stirring often, until thick. This takes about 12 to 15 mins, depending on the kind of cookware and stove.
15. This is how it should look, at this stage stir in the cashew cream or puree if you made it separately.
16. Pour 1½ cups hot water and mix well.
17. Simmer this, partially covered for 10 mins or until the sauce thickens & traces of fats/butter are visible on top of the sauce. Meanwhile proceed with the next step.
Grill the chicken on the stove top or Bake in the oven
18. Make sure your chicken is not too cold.
Option 1: To use oven, preheat the oven to 240 C or 460 F for at least 15 minutes. Skew the chicken on to soaked wooden skewers or place on a greased tray and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, depending on the size of chicken pieces. In between you will have to turn to the other side.
Option 2: To pan-fry/grill chicken on griddle/tawa. Add one tablespoon oil/butter or ghee and place the chicken pieces spacing them apart. Fry on a medium heat for 2 mins. Ignore the moisture oozing out of the chicken. Turn the chicken pieces to the other side, don’t burn and do not overcook.
19. Cook till the chicken is just done and all the moisture evaporates. Optional – If you want browned chicken, increase the flame to high and roast until they turn golden or light brown on both the sides. Be careful as this can easily burn the masala & dry out your chicken. This way roast the chicken pieces in 2 to 3 batches, depending on the size of your skillet. Avoid browning in a non-stick pan.
Make Chicken Makhani
20. After 10 minutes, the sauce should have been thick and traces of fats visible on the sauce.
21. Add chicken to the butter chicken gravy.
22. Pour ½ cup more hot water if the sauce is too thick and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes till it becomes tender. This is the time the sauce actually develops the flavors. The cook time may vary here. This additional half cup water is not mentioned in the recipe and is optional depending on how long you cook. But I always use.
23. Add ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and ½ tablespoon kasuri methi. Stir well and taste test. If required add more garam masala & another tablespoon butter for additional flavor.
24. Stir in ¼ to ⅓ cup heavy cream. Or Take a few tablespoons of the hot gravy to a small bowl and stir in the cream. Mix and then pour the cream to the butter chicken. This prevents cream from splitting.
Serving Suggestions
Butter Chicken is best served with Jeera rice , Turmeric Rice, plain fluffy Basmati Rice, Tandoori Roti, Naan or Paratha. To extend your menu, you may try Kachumber salad or onion salad, Jeera aloo or Paneer Tikka.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Tomatoes: Fresh ripe & pulpy/meaty tomatoes are best for this recipe. However you may use 1 cup (8 oz) passata or canned tomato puree. Avoid using sour tangy tomatoes.
Cashews impart a delicate flavor & acts as a thickener. It gives that rich, smooth and silky richness to the sauce. You can use almonds or almond flour as a substitute but flavors are different. To use almonds, soak them in hot water for 2 hours, peel and grind to a smooth paste/ puree. If using almond flour, grind it with water to a smooth paste.
Garam Masala is a spice blend used in Indian cooking. To make a good butter chicken you need a really good garam masala else your dish can end up being bland without any flavors. You can make your own from this Garam masala recipe or use store bought. But be sure to use an aromatic masala and adjust the quantity because every brand is different.
Kashmiri Red chili powder is pure Indian chilli powder (ground dried red chilies). It is a medium hot chili powder which also imparts brighter color to your dish. You may substitute it with Byadgi chili powder or a mix of smoked paprika & cayenne pepper (1:1).
If you don’t eat spicy foods, you may reduce the amount of red chili powder. The sauce will have a lighter color like seen in my old pictures.
Coriander and cumin powder: My original recipe never had cumin and coriander powders since they are already included in my garam masala. I have added it for extra flavor in the new version.
Kasuri methi is dried fenugreek leaves. There is no substitute for this and you may leave out if you don’t have but you will surely miss those magical flavors.
Greek yogurt/ Hung curd: Marinade requires thick strained yogurt like this Hung curd or Greek yogurt. Using regular yogurt (with whey) will easily let out too much moisture while grilling the chicken & all the spice marinade goes over to the pan. This makes your chicken taste bland. If your yogurt is runny, you may strain it following this Hung curd recipe.
Pro Tips
- Marination is the key to get flavorful, tender & succulent pieces of chicken.
- Yogurt in the marinade tenderizes the chicken so do not skip it.
- Makhani recipe never uses onion. However using them helps to balance the tang/sour taste of tomatoes, especially if you are using passata or canned tomatoes.
- The rich taste in the gravy comes from the cashews (or almonds) & cream.
- You can make the gravy ahead and refrigerate. Just grill the marinated chicken when needed and heat up the gravy. Then add the grilled chicken.
My previous original version was with lesser amount of red chilli powder (1 tsp). I upgraded the sauce with double the amount of whole spices & cumin + coriander powder for depth of flavors. Note that butter chicken is a mild curry and adding too much ground spices will alter the flavors. This is a picture of the butter chicken with lesser ground spices.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Butter Chicken Recipe first published in October 2012. Updated on 28th oct 2023 to include onions as an optional ingredient. This helps to cut down the sour taste of canned tomatoes or passata.
Butter Chicken Recipe (Indian Chicken Makhani)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
First Marination
- ½ kg (1.1 lbs) boneless chicken (read notes)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (or paprika adjust to taste, reduce for kids)
- ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Second Marination
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt (hung curd/thick curd, refer notes)
- ¾ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (optional, dried fenugreek leaves)
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon oil
For sauce
- 2 to 3 tablespoons butter or ghee (divided)
- 2 inch cinnamon piece
- 2 to 4 green cardamoms
- 2 to 4 cloves
- 1½ cups (130 grams) onions sliced (optional, *updated)
- 3 cups (600 grams, 24 oz) fresh tomato puree (or 1 cup passata/canned tomato puree)
- ¾ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 to 2 green chilies (deseed, slit or chop, optional)
- 28 (42 grams) whole raw cashews (soaked in hot water if required, read notes)
- ½ cup water to blend (more if required)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder (reduce for kids, adjust to taste)
- 1 to 1½ teaspoons garam masala (divided, adjust to taste)
- 1 to 1½ teaspoon coriander powder (optional, adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (optional, adjust to taste)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (to balance the flavors)
- ½ tablespoon Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1½ cups hot water to make gravy
- ⅓ cup (80 to 100 ml) heavy cream or whipping cream (divided)
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (fine chopped to garnish)
Instructions
- Marinate chicken with lemon juice, chili powder and salt. Cover and rest for 20 minutes. Next add yogurt, kasuri methi, oil, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder.
- Marinate and rest for a minimum of 30 minutes, or overnight for best results. Cover and refrigerate.
- Optional – If using onion, sauté in 1 tablespoon oil until lightly golden, for 7 minutes. Cool down.
- To a blender, add tomatoes, sautéed onions, cashews and water. Blend to a smooth puree. If you want you can also blend the cashews separately with water to a smooth cream.
Make the sauce
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, to bring it close to room temperature.
- Melt butter in a pan & add all the whole spices – cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms.
- When they begin to sizzle, stir in the ginger garlic paste & green chilies. Fry on a low heat, for a minute or 2, till it turns fragrant but not burnt.
- Turn off the heat and stir in red chili powder, garam masala, cumin and coriander powder.
- Stir in the tomato cashew puree. If it is not smooth, strain it to the pan.
- Mix well and cover partially. Bring it to a boil on a medium high heat, reduce the heat to low or medium. Cook until the puree turns thick, keep stirring occasionally.
- Pour hot water and simmer for 10 mins, until the sauce thickens & traces of fats are visible on top of the sauce.
Grill or roast chicken
- Spread one tbsp. butter or ghee in a griddle/pan and heat it well. Place the marinated chicken pieces, spacing them a little apart.
- Fry on a medium heat for 2 mins and turn them. Don’t burn and do not overcook. Cook till the chicken is just cooked and all the marinade dries up. It is not necessary to fully cook the chicken at this stage.
- This way roast the chicken pieces in 2 to 3 batches, depending on the size of your skillet.
How to make Butter Chicken
- Add chicken to the butter chicken gravy. Pour more hot water (about ½ cup, not in the recipe) if the sauce is too thick. Cover and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes till it becomes tender.
- Stir in salt, sugar and kasuri methi. Taste test and optionally add more garam masala & another tablespoon butter for additional flavour (both are optional).
- Turn off and stir in the heavy cream. Garnish Butter Chicken with chopped coriander leaves and some cream. Serve with Turmeric rice, steamed Basmati Rice, Butter naan or Cumin Rice.
Notes
- Read my pro tips and Ingredients section in the post.
- Use good quality ripe sweet tomatoes. Avoid using sour/tangy tomatoes.
- Using onions is optional and you may use them to cut down the sour taste of the tomatoes.
- The quantity & type of tomatoes and ground spices determine the color of your butter chicken gravy.
- Butter chicken is a mild curry, using a lot of spices alters the flavor and taste of the sauce.
- If using almonds, soak them in hot water for a few hours and remove the skin. Grind them with half cup water. You can also use ¼ cup blanched almond flour, grind it with half cup water until really smooth.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
Watch Butter Chicken Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
First published version of Murgh Makhani
Ingredients
½ kg chicken (or 1 lb.) (Preferably boneless)
¾ tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Red chili powder or paprika
Second marination
¾ teaspoon kasuri methi Optional (dried fenugreek leaves)
⅛ teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala
¾ tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
½ cup Greek yogurt or hung curd (thick curd, refer notes)
for gravy
2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 cinnamon (2 inch piece, dalchini)
2 green cardamoms (elaichi)
2 cloves (laung)
1 to 2 green chilies (slit or sliced, optional)
4 large tomatoes pureed (400 to 500 grams)
16 to 18 cashew nuts or blanched soaked almonds (refer notes)
1 teaspoon red chili powder or paprika (adjust to suit your taste and color)
½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala
½ tablespoon kasuri methi crushed or powdered dried fenugreek leaves
¼ tablespoon sugar
salt as needed
80 to 100 ml chilled cream (heavy cream or whipping cream, refer the notes)
2 tbsp Coriander leaves for garnishing
Instructions
Preparation for chicken makhani
First marinate chicken with lemon juice, chili powder and salt for 20 minutes.
Next marinate again with yogurt, kasuri methi, oil, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, and garam masala powder.
Cover & rest in the refrigerator for atleast 12 hours. You can keep it as long as 48 hours. The longer the chicken rests in the marinade, the tender it will be after cooking.
Add the cashews to a blender jar along with tomatoes. Make a smooth puree.
If the puree is not smooth, then pass it through a filter. Set this aside.
Also make the ginger garlic paste.
Grilling or roasting chicken
Grill the chicken in an oven or stove top.
For stove top method, Add one tsp butter to a pan and add the marinade.
Fry on high flame till all the moisture evaporates.
To grill it in oven, preheat the oven to 240 C for at least 20 mins.
Grill it until the meat is cooked through & is tender. It may take about 20 to 30 mins depending on the size of your chicken chunks. Ensure chicken is tender at this stage.
How To Make Butter Chicken
Heat a pan with butter & saute cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms for a min.
Add ginger garlic paste, green chilies and fry till it turns fragrant.
Next pour the tomato cashew puree.
Add red chili powder, sugar and salt.
Mix and cook until the tomato puree becomes thick.
It also begins to leave the sides of the pan.
Pour 1 cup water. Add more or less water to suit your desired consistency.
Bring the mix to a boil and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
Add chicken and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Butter chicken should become soft and tender. Add garam masala and kasuri methi.
Stir and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour chilled cream and switch off the stove.
Garnish butter chicken with coriander leaves and extra cream if desired. Serve with long grain rice or naan or paratha.
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Hi, I want to try this, but I’m just confused because the recipe card says 600 grams tomato puree and the recipe above that with the pictures says 600 grams diced tomatoes. Could you please clarify which you used?
Hi Deeti,
It is one and the same. Just that I have reworded it. I have mentioned – 600 grams diced fresh tomatoes (4 large, makes 3 cups puree). 600 grams weight is after preparation, removing the core & dicing 4 large tomatoes. After pureeing it is still 600 grams. You just need to weigh the diced tomatoes. I am unable to elaborate that in the recipe card because it looks too cluttered. Hope this clears.
5000+ 5 star reviews cannot be wrong, so i tried this recipe. It was amazing and easy. The instructions are really helpful. I think about this recipe at least once a week.
Thank you so much Amber! So happy you like it
Even my 8 year old loved this recipe!
That’s nice to know Jacqueline. Thank you for sharing back
I have recently discovered the wonder that is butter chicken, and after trying multiple recipes and failed attempts, I was about to give up and accept that I would have to pay takeout prices every time I craved it (which was at least once a week).
Following this recipe step by step with the pictures helped me achieve the takeout butter chicken I was looking for! What really made the biggest difference was going out to an Indian grocery store and getting all the correct spices, and straining twice.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
-A very full and happy person who has had butter chicken leftovers 3 times in 24 hours
Very happy to read this Elle. I really appreciate your time to share back your experience.
I am anxious to try this recipe. I am somewhat confused about the cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon. Is there a point at which they need to be removed or do they disintegrate as they cook?
Hi Andy,
They don’t disintegrate. If you want you may remove them before adding the chicken. Since it is a smooth sauce, it is easy to fish out. In Indian cuisine we leave the whole spices in and put aside while eating. However if you don’t like them, you may omit and add more garam masala at the end.
This is an amazing recipe! My husband and son loved this. We had no leftovers – and I was a little sad I won’t eat this again tomorrow. 😉 I will definitely make this again. Big fan of your site! Thank you for sharing.
Hi Swasthi, I’m very excited to make your recipe. I’m growing my own fenugreek and I was wondering if fresh frenugreek leaves could be subbed in for dried?
Hi Loni,
Both have different flavors and there is no substitute for dried fenugreek. Also just to let you know, the fenugreek labelled as kasuri methi is different from the regular fenugreek & it is actually more aromatic. I read there are different kinds of fenugreek all over the world and the Indian variety is known for its aroma. You can toast a handful of leaves in a dry pan and use as mentioned in the recipe. I have lot of fresh fenugreek recipes on the blog you may want to check. Here a few
Methi Chicken
Methi matar malai
Methi Dal
Hope this helps
Thank you so much! I really appreciate all your help! I’m growing the right one at least, so I’m very excited. I have been wanting to make dal for a while, I’m looking forward to making yours with my fresh fenugreek. Have a fantastic week!
I used roma tomatoes and it turned out to be the best butter chicken. Thank you
Glad to know Avantika. Thank you
fantastic!
Thank you Juliette
So dang good! I’ve tried multiple butter chicken recipes and this is the first one that I’ve been satisfied with. Due to the level of effort, I 3x the gravy recipe so I could freeze half for a future dinner and I’m so glad I did. It’s rich and delicious.
That’s really nice to read Chrissy. I agree with you about 3x. Thank you so much for sharing back
Finally a place where I can find real Indian recipes! Recently I made the butter chicken recipe with the onion salad and naan as well for my family and some friends. I was really happy with how it tasted. It was like eating in our favorite Indian restaurant. I bookmarked the site and I will be back often. Sunday I will make Chicken tikka (Indian), can’t wait!
So glad you like it Tim. That’s really nice to know! Thank you so much!
Absolutely unbelievable! For someone who has never been able to cook a proper curry, this turned out fabulous! My son and I moved into our own apartment and I wanted to celebrate by cooking something amazing for us. Well, we couldn’t have been happier. The flavors were unbelievable, it lasted us three days, and my son was licking the rest of the sauce out of the dish. We couldn’t find the Kasoori Methi and substituted the cashews for Macadamia Nut Butter but it worked out perfectly. Definitely our new family favorite 🙂 Thank you Shwashti for sharing. You’ve made our year!
Hi Ilze,
That’s great to read! So happy you both like it! Congratulations on your new home & wish you the best!
tasty
Hi swasthi my punjab friend turned 70 today he is going back to punjab from scotland to share his birthday with his friends for 3 weeks he owns a food place hear in scotland loves all the food I make him and gives me tips on making things more like he gets back home as in the mango chutney instead of sugar in the chicken tikka masala I was wondering if you could on this comment give me a recipe for a food dish so when he comes back and as always he will feel home sick for a few days so I would like to have a dish that he would have only had in punjab I thought butter chicken this is why iam on this page but iam thinking something that you believe he will taste and think of home especially something he can’t get hear outside punjab or a recipe that’s so authentic he will instantly smile.
Hi Tony,
You are a wonderful friend! That was really nice reading you. Apart from this Butter Chicken, I have plenty of Punjabi dishes on the blog. Take a look at these
Dal Makhani
Baingan/eggplant Bharta
Kadhi Pakora
Punjabi chole
Rajma masala
Hope this helps
Wow swasthi great selection the rajma masala I know is one of his wife’s favourites I forgot about that until I saw it on your list and remembered him saying one time that it’s one of her favourite dish she is a jains from south Mumbai iam sure that means she is strictly vegetarian? Iam scottish I could be wrong I have never asked him what it ment and iam sure he said when they are back home and go out for a meal it’s what they have but he always stops at a street cook on way home and buys some sort of fried chicken for his meat fix 😆 if I could ask he always mentions a drink I cant remember the name of it but he treats me like the westerner that iam and describes it like a milkshake with spices that’s as much knowledge he gives me on it but says one day he take me so I can try it so I guess its a favourite of his
Hi Tony,
The drink you mentioned is a lassi. You can find them here – Lassi and Mango Lassi. Yes jains don’t eat onion, garlic, ginger and root vegetables. My vegetarian recipes can be made jain, by omitting those ingredients. Hope this helps
Yes swasthi this is why iam so happy I found your website you have it all I will practise this lassi he is going to India on his own so i will be checking in on his wife and family when he is away and making sure I get these ingredients perfect for him returning. The information on jains is very helpful I didn’t know about the vegetables that they don’t have now I know the reason why she never ate any of my foods that will change from now on I will always make sure I do her food separately and to the jains way thank you so much for that piece of information it has made me so happy thank you ❤ I have 3 weeks to perfect these dishes from the coming Tuesday and in the jains acceptable way for his wife so they both can have my food together iam sure she will love that too ❤
Came out great, very easy to follow
Thanks for sharing back Sarah. Glad to know!
How to make butter chicken
Rashika,
Hope you enjoy this
Most sophisticated makhani recipe I’ve found and with a developmental history I enjoy.
Thanks Charlie
I found that when I saluted the chicken and put in the sauce, the yogurt separated and my sauce was a bit grainy. I took all the chicken out which was a big job, and put the sauce in a blender to get smooth and put back in with chicken. What did I do wrong?
Hi Charlotte,
I am wondering if this was meant for another website or for a different post, because there is no sauteing of chicken in this recipe. We arrange the chicken pieces on the pan and fry them on both sides. This will cook down your yogurt completely, so it cannot separate/ split after adding into the sauce. Also because there is cashew cream (not dairy), the sauce cannot turn grainy.
My boys are singing this butter chicken and it is out of this world! We love Indian food hot, but have a younger girl that is still learning to love spices and heat. This is the third time making and your dal makhani is to die for! Thank you for sharing your recipes with the world.
That’s lovely to read Amela. Thank you for trying the recipes
I became a bit creative & made this butter chicken with skinless chicken thighs. Grilled for an extra flavor and charred slightly. Cooled it, deboned and cut up to chunks. I think the thighs added extra flavor to the dish. I wonder why Indian recipes don’t use broth for extra flavor but anyways this was very flavorsome didn’t need broth. Thank you and by far this is the best butter chicken I have made.
Hi Sara,
That’s nice to know! Glad you like this. Yes we don’t use broth, just plenty of spices and herbs impart the flavors
Dear Swasthi,
We love this recipe and have been making it for many years. Raw milk is easily available in the place we live so I always have homemade malai in the refrigerator. I use that with soaked almonds. Turns out delicious. We are buying a clay tandoor and how would you go with the temperature? High or medium. Do you think it makes any difference to the butter chicken? Any advice
Hi Farah,
Thank you so much! Love the way you make it with almonds and malai. I think you should refer to the manufacturers instructions. Yes tandoori grilled chicken makes a huge difference.