How to make Butter Chicken - Strips of boneless chicken grilled and tossed in a creamy tomato onion gravy base made with plenty of butter.

Butter chicken like chicken tikka masala, is one of the most popular Indian curries across the world and for all the right reasons. This delicious chicken recipe is also popular by its Hindi name - murgh makhni. The taste of the creamy bright coloured masala with chunks of grilled chicken in it is an unforgettable one and I love mine with some soft rumali rotis, though you can have it with any kind of Indian flatbread too.  Like its North Indian origins and name itself suggests good quantities of butter go into the making of this dish. One taste and you are going to wow that this is the best butter chicken you have ever had.

Butter Chicken Recipe Card

Prep Time : 31-40 minutes

Cook time : 31-40 minutes

Serve : 4

Level Of Cooking : Moderate

Taste : Spicy

Ingredients for Butter Chicken Recipe

• Chicken cut into 1½ inch pieces 400 grams

• Butter 2 tablespoons

• Kashmiri red chilli powder 1 teaspoon

• Lemon juice 1 tablespoon

• Salt to taste

• Marinade

• Thick yogurt 1/2 cup

• Ginger paste 2 teaspoons

• Garlic paste 2 teaspoons

• Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon

• Garam masala powder 1/2 teaspoon

• Salt to taste

• Mustard oil 2 teaspoons

• Makhani gravy

• Tomato roughly chopped 12 medium

• Nutralite 4 tablespoons

• Green cardamoms 4

• Mace 1 gram

• Ginger paste 1 teaspoon

• Garlic paste 1 teaspoon

• Salt to taste

• Red chilli powder (deghi mirch) 1 teaspoon

• Dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) roasted and crushed 1/4 teaspoon

• Honey 1 tablespoon

• Fresh cream 3 1/2 tablespoons

Method

Step 1

Prick the chicken pieces all over with a fork. Place them in a large bowl and add the salt, red chilli powder, Nutralite and lemon juice and mix well.

Step 2

Cover the bowl with a cling film and set aside to marinate for thirty minutes in a refrigerator.

Step 3

For the marinade, mix together yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, chilli powder, salt and garam masala powder. Add the mustard oil and mix.

Step 4

Add the chicken and mix well so that all the chicken pieces are well coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for about two hours. For the gravy puree the tomatoes till smooth.

Step 5

Heat two tablespoons of Nutralite in a deep non stick pan on low heat. Add the green cardamoms and mace and cook till fragrant. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste and sauté for a minute.

Step 6

Add the pureed tomatoes, salt, red chilli powder and cook, stirring occasionally, for fifteen to twenty minutes. Preheat the gas tandoor.

Step 7

Open the lid and lightly grease the platform. Keep the chicken pieces, cover with the lid and cook till the chicken pieces are done.

Step 8

Add the roasted and crushed kasuri methi to the gravy and mix. Add the remaining Nutralite and cook for a few minutes. Add the honey and cream and mix well.

Step 9

Cook for two minutes more. Add the chicken pieces and cook for three minutes. Serve hot with naan.