Authentic Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

About This Recipe

Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) was invented at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in the 1950s when chef Kundan Lal Gujral mixed leftover tandoori chicken into a rich tomato-butter-cream sauce. It became the gateway dish that introduced the world to Indian cuisine, and today it's the most ordered Indian restaurant dish globally.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gchicken thighs(boneless, cut into chunks)
• 200 gfull-fat yoghurt
• 2 tbsptandoori masala
• 2 tspground cumin
• 2 tspgaram masala
• 1 tspturmeric
• 1 tspKashmiri chilli powder(for colour)
• 3garlic cloves(minced)
• 1 tbspfresh ginger(grated)
• 60 gunsalted butter
• 400 gcanned tomatoes
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 150 mldouble cream
• 1 tbsphoney or sugar
• 1 tspfenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)(crushed)

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the chicken

   Mix yoghurt, tandoori masala, 1 tsp cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, garlic and ginger. Add chicken. Marinate minimum 4 hours, ideally overnight.

2. 2

   Char the chicken

   Grill or broil marinated chicken on highest heat until charred spots form — 8–10 minutes. This smokiness is essential and cannot be skipped.

   Don't worry about cooking through — the chicken finishes in the sauce.

3. 3

   Make the sauce

   Melt butter in a wide pan. Add remaining garlic and ginger, cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, garam masala and remaining spices. Simmer 20 minutes until oil separates and sauce deepens.

4. 4

   Blend the sauce

   Use a stick blender or transfer to a blender and blitz until perfectly smooth. Return to pan, pass through a fine sieve for restaurant-quality smoothness.

5. 5

   Finish with cream and fenugreek

   Add cream, honey and charred chicken pieces. Simmer 15 minutes. Add crushed fenugreek leaves — this is the secret ingredient that gives murgh makhani its distinctive flavour.

   Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek) is non-negotiable for authentic flavour. Find it in Indian grocery stores.

Variations

• •

  Paneer Makhani: replace chicken with paneer cubes for a vegetarian version.

• •

  Vegan: use coconut cream instead of dairy cream, and chickpeas or tofu.

Storage

Keeps 4 days refrigerated. Freezes beautifully for 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions