Restaurant style Butter Chicken / Chicken Makhkhani / Murg Makhkhani

Restaurant style Butter Chicken/ Murg makhkhani or Chicken Makhkhani

Murg makhkhani or butter chicken is a very famous , very rich dish originated in Northern and North-East India and Eastern Pakistan , which is now very popular beyond it’s place of origin . The name butter chicken or chicken makhkhani is because of using reasonable amount of butter in the cooking . Every time we go to any Indian , Pakistani restaurant , butter chicken is the must item!! So experimented a little to get that flavor even at home !! And alhamdulillah my version of butter chicken has exactly the same flavor as that of the restaurants and my husbands says , to some extent , it is better than the restaurant . 🙂 Well , huge compliment for me and specially when you get that from the biggest critique in your life !!!

The recipe is very easy . it has two parts . In the first part , marinate the chicken and then shallow fry or grill them . Second part involves , making the gravy and incorporate the chicken and gravy together . The whole cooking is done with around 1/2 (half)a cup of butter doing justice to the name makhkhani or buttery .

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

750 gram boneless chicken ( I took thigh and breast meat both)
3 cloves of garlic , finely grated
1 tea spoon of ginger
2 tbl spoon of yogurt
1 tea spoon of Chili powder
1 tea spoon of paprika
1 tea spoon of garam masala/Kabab masala * ( see the recipe below)
1/2 tea spoon of Cinnamon Powder
1/2 tea spoon of nutmeg powder
1/4th tea spoon cumin powder ( dry roasted )
Salt to taste
2 tbl spoon Butter

Garam masala/Kabab Masala :

2 Dry red chilies
Cumin seed 1 tbl spoon
Coriander seed 1 tbl spoon
Green cardamon 5 or 6
Black pepper 1 tea spoon
Cloves 1 teasppon
2 long pepper
Allspice 1 teaspoon
Kababchini 1 teaspoon
Fennel 1 teaspoon
Mace 1 teaspoon
Nutmeg half a teaspoon
1 star anise
1 black cardamom
1 small cinnamon stick ( 1″)

Lightly dry roast the ingredients and crush into a powder .

For the Gravy :

1 medium onion chopped or 1/4 th cup
3 cloves of garlic , finely grated
1 teaspoon ginger
1 tea spoon Garam masala / kabab masala
1/2 ( half tea spoon ) fenugreek / methi
1 tea spoon cumin seed
1 ( level)tea spoon chili powder
2 small green chilies , chopped
1/2 ( half) tea spoon , white pepper powder
Half a can of Tomato paste or two tomatoes, chopped
Half a cup of Heavy cream/ evaporated milk
Salt to taste
1 tea spoon of sugar
Butter 1/4 th cup + 1 tbl spoon

Other Ingredients:

Charcoal
1 tbl spoon of butter for garnishing.

Procedure:

Part 1 :

1. Marinate the chicken cubes with all the ingredients except the butter . Then give the charcoal smoke to the meat for 5 minutes . For charcoal smoke , lit the charcoal very well , then , place it in a small plate or foil cup and add ghee/ butter or oil over the coal . now put the small plate or foil cup on the meat bowl and cover with a lid to smoke it nicely ..

2. Heat the grill pan or frying pan with 2 tbl spoon of butter . Add the chicken and fry or grill until tender . It takes me around 10 minutes .

3. You can enjoy the chicken as it is like kabab too .

Part 2 :

1. Heat butter . Add fenugreek/ methi and whole cumin seed . Add the onion . Fry until little soft . Add the grated garlic and ginger paste . Add little water , then add garam masala / kabab masala powder , chili powder , chopped green chili and salt . Add the tomato paste or chopped tomato and fry until soft . Add little water , if you are using tomato paste , but if you are using tomato puree or chopped tomato , you don’t need it .

2. Now transfer the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth . This is the secret tip for that smooth , velvety gravy like the restaurant one .

3. Now transfer the mixture back to the pot . Add the Chicken pieces and half a cup of fresh cream . Add Sugar and white pepper powder .

4. Serve with naan, taftaan or even rice . Add a cube of butter for garnishing . 🙂

Enjoy!!!

Notes:

1. Please always use thigh and breast meat both . Thigh meats are juicy , and if you use only breast meat , that would taste rubbery .

2. Please don’t skip the giving coal smoke part . That is what gives the restaurant type of flavor .

3. Try to use the canned tomato paste . It really makes a huge difference .

4. Try to use butter only , don’t substitute for ghee or oil .