Indian · Main course · Đã thử nghiệm 13 lần

Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Yogurt-marinated chicken cooked under a hot broiler for char, finished in a velvety tomato-cream gravy with cardamom, fenugreek, and a slick of butter at the end.

Bởi Arjun Iyer · India editor · Đăng 2026-01-28 · Cập nhật 2026-04-30
Đến công thức →
Chuẩn bị
25 min
Nấu
40 min
Nghỉ
4 h
Tổng
65 min
Cho ra
4 servings
Độ khó
Easy
#indian#curry#weeknight#chicken
Trả lời nhanh · Câu trả lời 30 giây

Marinate boneless chicken thighs 4 hours in yogurt and Kashmiri chili. Broil until char-spotted. Simmer with onion, garlic, ginger, ground spices, tomato passata, and stock. Blend smooth. Finish with butter, cream, fenugreek leaves, and the charred chicken.

  • Kashmiri chili gives the colour without the screaming heat — paprika is a poor substitute.
  • Char on the chicken (broiled or tandoor) is what separates restaurant from sad weeknight.
  • Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek) at the end is non-negotiable — it tastes like nothing else.

Equipment

  • Broiler/grill pan or hot tandoor
  • Heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai
  • Immersion or stand blender
  • Microplane (for ginger and garlic)

Nguyên liệu

Chicken marinade

  • 700 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, in 4 cm pieces
  • 120 g full-fat yogurt
  • 15 g Kashmiri chili powder
  • 8 g ginger-garlic paste
  • 5 ml lemon juice
  • 5 g garam masala
  • 5 g fine salt
  • 15 ml neutral oil

Gravy

  • 60 g ghee or unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 8 g ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 small green chili, slit (optional)
  • 10 g Kashmiri chili powder
  • 5 g ground cumin
  • 5 g ground coriander
  • 5 g garam masala
  • 500 g tomato passata, or canned crushed tomato
  • 200 ml chicken stock or water
  • 10 g sugar
  • 120 ml heavy cream
  • 30 g cold butter, for finishing
  • 3 g kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed between palms

Cách làm

  1. BƯỚC
    01

    Whisk yogurt, Kashmiri chili, ginger-garlic paste, lemon, garam masala, salt, and oil. Add chicken, mix well, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

  2. BƯỚC
    02

    Heat the broiler/grill to maximum. Spread the marinated chicken on a foil-lined tray. Broil 6–8 minutes per side until char-spotted and just cooked through. Some scorched edges are correct.

  3. BƯỚC
    03

    Melt ghee in a heavy pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until deep gold — 10 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chili; cook 1 minute until fragrant.

  4. BƯỚC
    04

    Add the Kashmiri chili, cumin, coriander, and garam masala. Stir 30 seconds — the kitchen should smell of roasted spice.

  5. BƯỚC
    05

    Pour in the passata and stock. Add sugar. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring often, until the colour deepens to brick red and the oil separates.

  6. BƯỚC
    06

    Off the heat. Blend with an immersion blender (or transfer to a stand blender carefully — hot liquids splash) until silky. Return to the pan.

  7. BƯỚC
    07

    Stir in the cream. Add the charred chicken and any resting juices. Simmer 5 minutes to marry. Off the heat, swirl in the cold butter and crushed kasuri methi. Rest 2 minutes before serving — the methi flavour blooms.

Make ahead

Marinate chicken up to 24 hours ahead. Make the gravy fully 2 days ahead; reheat and finish with cream, butter, and methi just before serving for the freshest aroma.

Storage

5 days refrigerated. Reheat over low heat with a splash of water — high heat splits the cream.

Variations

Paneer makhani

Swap chicken for 500 g cubed paneer, lightly fried first. Same gravy, same finish.

Without cream (lighter)

Replace cream with 100 g cashew paste blended with water. Almost as rich, completely dairy-free if you also swap ghee for oil.

Tandoori-style char

If you have a tandoor or hot charcoal grill, skewer the marinated chicken and grill over coals for true smoky char.

Serve with

Basmati riceGarlic naanCucumber raitaPickled red onionsIndian pale ale or chilled lassi

Nutrition per serving

540 kcal 38 g fat 14 g carbs 36 g protein 9 g sugar 2 g fiber 760 mg sodium
Allergens: Dairy
Diet: Gluten-free

Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.

Câu hỏi thường gặp

Why is mine orange, not red?

Kashmiri chili powder is the colour. Substituting paprika or cayenne shifts the colour and the flavour. Buy real Kashmiri chili — it's worth the trip.

Can I skip the broil?

You can, but the dish loses its restaurant-style char. If skipping, at least sear the marinated chicken hard in a screaming pan for 90 seconds per side.

Is butter chicken authentic?

It was invented in 1950s Delhi at Moti Mahal to use leftover tandoori chicken. So yes — and modern, and very specific in origin. The recipe has nothing to do with British curry house lore.

What's kasuri methi and can I skip it?

Dried fenugreek leaves — sold in 25 g packs at any Indian grocer. They have a maple-celery aroma that nothing else replicates. Skipping makes the dish good rather than great.

Is this spicy?

No — Kashmiri chili is colour-forward, mild. The green chili is optional. This is a kid-friendly curry as written.

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