Creamy Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
ID: 772b9de2...
This classic Northern Indian dish features tender marinated chicken thighs cooked in a rich, creamy tomato gravy infused with freshly roasted garam masala and finished with butter, heavy cream, and dried fenugreek. It is flavorful, aromatic, and pairs perfectly with garlic naan and warm basmati rice.
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🍳 Cooking Flow
Toast and grind whole spices to make fresh Garam Masala, then blend ginger and garlic to make paste. → Marinate chicken strips in Greek yogurt, spices, and ginger-garlic paste overnight, then broil on skewers for 15 minutes. → Sauté aromatics, spices, canned tomatoes, and raw cashews in butter and oil, cooking until cashews are soft. → Blend the tomato-cashew mixture with water until completely smooth, then return to the pot with the chicken, more butter, and sugar. → Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then finish by stirring in heavy cream and crushed dried fenugreek leaves.
Cooking Steps
Brief Cooking Order
Toast and grind whole spices to make fresh Garam Masala, then blend ginger and garlic to make paste. → Marinate chicken strips in Greek yogurt, spices, and ginger-garlic paste overnight, then broil on skewers for 15 minutes. → Sauté aromatics, spices, canned tomatoes, and raw cashews in butter and oil, cooking until cashews are soft. → Blend the tomato-cashew mixture with water until completely smooth, then return to the pot with the chicken, more butter, and sugar. → Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then finish by stirring in heavy cream and crushed dried fenugreek leaves.
Introduction
This classic Northern Indian dish features tender marinated chicken thighs cooked in a rich, creamy tomato gravy infused with freshly roasted garam masala and finished with butter, heavy cream, and dried fenugreek. It is flavorful, aromatic, and pairs perfectly with garlic naan and warm basmati rice.
Step 1
Prepare the Garam Masala by dry-toasting bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and nutmeg in a pan for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Let them cool completely, then grind into a fine powder using a spice grinder or coffee grinder.
Step 2
Make the ginger-garlic paste by blending peeled fresh ginger root, garlic cloves, a splash of oil, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until smooth.
Step 3
Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, combine full-fat Greek yogurt, fresh lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, homemade garam masala, turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, and Kashmiri red chili powder. Stir well, add the chicken thigh strips, and coat them thoroughly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 3 hours).
Step 4
Thread the marinated chicken strips onto skewers and place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Broil in the oven for about 15 minutes until charred and cooked through.
Step 5
Prepare the gravy base: Heat butter and olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, cardamom pod, bay leaf, cloves, chopped green chilies, and turmeric. Sizzle until aromatic, then stir in the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute, followed by ground cumin, Kashmiri red chili powder, ground coriander, and garam masala.
Ingredients List
Important Notes
Using chicken thighs is highly recommended over chicken breasts because they are more flavorful and less prone to drying out.
Marinating the chicken with full-fat Greek yogurt is a key step to keeping the chicken tender, moist, and adding a creamy, tangy flavor.
For the best texture, ensure that the cashews are cooked down until completely soft before blending, otherwise the sauce will not be silky smooth.
Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) add a classic earthy aroma that balances the sweetness and richness of the butter and cream. Do not skip this step for an authentic taste.
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