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Butter Chicken

Murgh makhani is butter chicken’s proper name. Butter chicken — murgh makhani — was created, according to a 2018 Washington Post story, in the late 1920’s or early ‘30s in Peshawar (then Indian, now Pakistan) by a chef named Kundan Lal Gujral. It’s exceedingly rare that a dish has origins so precisely knowable, but butter chicken’s origin story is uncontested, the smart story by Andreas Viestad asserted.
Prep Time15 minutes
Active Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Yield: 4
Author: Arrisje

Materials

For the marinade

  • 1 1/2 lb boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts
  • 1/2 cup yogurt thick I used my homemade yoghurt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger or finely grated
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt

For the sauce

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp ghee or 1 tbs butter + 1 tbs oil
  • 1 large onion sliced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 14 oz tomatoes
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup of heavy cream
  • Chopped Cilantro
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients for the marinade.
  • Cube the chicken and put in a bowl, combine the chicken with the marinade; let marinate for a minimum of 2 hours hours.
  • Heat the skillet on medium high heat add the oil. Add the cubed chicken in batches. Don’t crowd the pan. It don’t need to be all the way done because you will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce. Set the chicken aside.
  • Heat butter or ghee in the same pan. Fry the onions, garlic and ginger, until translucent. Add the coriander, cumin and the garam masala. Then add the the can of tomatoes, chili powder and salt. Simmer for about 15 min.
  • When this mixture is reduced, put this mixture into a blender or use a stick blender. Blend until smooth.
  • Pour the sauce back into the pan. Stir the cream, and sugar through the sauce. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with rice and Naan bread.