Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
One of the most popular Indian dishes, this Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) features an incredible depth of flavor and is phenomenally delicious!
Ingredients
- For the Marinade:
- 1 1/2 cups plain full fat yogurt
- 1/4 cup almond flour , unblanched or blanched
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- homemade garam masala (STRONGLY recommended)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground green cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder optional, if you like it spicy (use more for more heat), or cayenne pepper
- For the Chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken , cut into bite-sized pieces (brown chicken meat produces the most flavor. You can also use bone-in chicken)
- 2 tablespoons ghee (can substitute oil or butter)
- 1 large yellow onion , finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 14 ounce can tomato puree (can substitute passata or plain tomato sauce)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 black cardamom pod (if you can find it. It isn't necessary but it adds such a fabulous flavor.)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the yogurt with the almonds, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and spices and stir to combine. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight if possible.The marinated chicken can then be either: Laid on a lined baking sheet and placed under the broiler in the oven until nicely browned or grilled on the barbecue. We highly recommend one of these options (I broil it in the oven). Otherwise you can skip these steps you can pan-fry the marinated chicken in some oil until it's browned (shake off any excess marinade before frying) or you can skip all of these options and simply cook it along with the other ingredients in step 2 (though it will have less flavor). **Whichever route you go be sure to save the marinade because you'll still need it for the sauce.
- Heat the ghee in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion until soft and translucent and beginning to turn golden, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the chicken and all the marinade. (If you chose not to grill, roast or pan-fry the chicken, bring it to a simmer now and let it cook until it turns white.) Add the tomato puree and black cardamom pod. Return to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter and cream and stir until dissolved. Add salt to taste. Remove the black cardamom pod.
- Serve with steamed jasmine or basmati rice and/or fresh naan bread. Garnish with some chopped fresh cilantro and swirl in a little extra cream.
- This sauce tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had more time to meld so we recommend waiting a day to eat it (let it cool completely, refrigerate, and reheat gently on the stovetop).
Notes
*While it isn't necessary (this dish is delicious either way!) if you have time to take the extra step of grilling the marinated chicken on the barbecue before continuing with the step of simmering everything together, it does add a nice boost in flavor.
*This dish tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had more time to meld!
*This dish tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had more time to meld!
Nutrition
Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 921mg | Potassium: 944mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1034IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 2mg
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