Murgh Makhani Butter Chicken Restaurant Style Recipes

BUTTER CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).
• Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
• Heat butter or ghee in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to sweat (about 6 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.
• Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin and garam masala. Let cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
• Add crushed tomatoes, chili powder and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.
• Remove from heat, scoop mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water to help it blend (up to 1/4 cup). Work in batches depending on the size of your blender.
• Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan. Stir the cream, sugar and crushed kasoori methi (or fenugreek leaves) through the sauce. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with fresh, hot garlic butter rice and fresh homemade Naan bread!

MURGH MAKHANI (BUTTER CHICKEN) RESTAURANT STYLE!

Steps:

• Stage 1: Prepare the chicken and marinade (approx 4.5 hours).
• Grill Method:.
• 1. Crush/grate garlic and ginger into a paste.
• 2. Place chicken in a large metal or other non-porous bowl and add ginger-garlic paste.
• 3. Thoroughly mix the chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, and the ginger-garlic paste together (ensure the chicken is evenly coated).
• 4. In another bowl, mix the yogurt and 1/2 Tbsp Kashmiri chill powder with a whisk until evenly mixed 5. Add the yogurt mixture, along with 1Tbsp oil, to the bowl with the chicken and ginger-garlic paste.
• 6. Mix thoroughly, and then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
• Oven Bake method:.
• 1. Crush/grate garlic and ginger into a paste.
• 2. Cut chicken into cubes.
• 3. Place chicken in a large metal or other non-porous bowl and add ginger-garlic paste.
• 4. Thoroughly mix the chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, and the ginger-garlic paste together (ensure the chicken is evenly coated).
• 5. In another bowl, mix the yogurt and 1/2 Tbsp Kashmiri chill powder with a whisk until evenly mixed 6. Add the yogurt mixture, along with 1Tbsp oil, to the bowl with the chicken and ginger-garlic paste.
• 7. Mix thoroughly, and then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
• 8. Soak wooden skewers in water while chicken is marinading.
• Stage 2: Grill or Oven-Bake Chicken.
• Grill Method:.
• 1. Remove chicken from refrigerator and place chicken on wax paper in a grill or BBQ safe sheet. grill or BBQ on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
• 2. Remove chicken from grill and let cool.
• 3. Cut chicken into cubes, and then return chicken to refrigerator (until the sauce is ready).
• 4. Remove chicken from oven and let cool. Place in refrigerator until sauce is ready.
• Oven-Bake Method:.
• 1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
• 2. Remove chicken from refrigerator and place chicken on the wooden skewers.
• 3. Place skewers in a oven-proof baking dish and bake for ~20 minutes, or until chicken is almost cooked through (NOTE: you will finish cooking chicken briefly in the sauce later).
• Stage 3: Prepare Makhani Sauce.
• If using 750g whole tomatoes:.
• 1. Peel and finely chop ginger.
• 2. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a medium saucepan on medium to medium-high heat.
• 3. When the oil is hot, add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and bay leaves, and stir for 2 minutes.
• 4. Add chopped ginger and cook for 1 minute.
• 5. Reduce the heat to low, add the diced green chiles and 750g tomatoes, along with 100ml water.
• 6. Simmer on low heat for 25 minutes.
• 7. Remove the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom and cloves), and then pour the sauce into a blender to puree until smooth.
• 8. Sieve the pureed mixture to remove any lumps, and return to saucepan.
• 9. Place ~2/3 of the cashews in a blender, and grind into powder. Add a SMALL amount of water, and mix into a paste.
• 10. Add 1 Tbsp of tomato paste, along with cashew paste to the makhani sauce (you will likely need to add a small amount of water to the blender in order to get all of the cashew paste out of the blender).
• 11. Add 1/2 tsp of chill powder, and 1 Tbsp honey. Stir for ~3 minutes.
• 12. Stir in 1/4 cup of butter, and stir until it melts.
• 13. Add 1/2 tsp of salt (optional), and 1 tsp fenugreek leaves, then simmer for a further 20 minutes.
• 14. In a large frypan, melt a small amount of butter, and add remaining 1/3 of the cashews, along with the cooked chicken. Cook for ~3 minutes on medium-high.
• 15. Reduce heat to low. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cashews, and then add 1/4 cup of whipping cream. Stir for ~ 3 minutes.
• If using 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes:.
• 1. Peel and finely chop ginger.
• 2. Heat 3 Tbsp oil on medium to medium-high heat.
• 3. When the oil is hot, add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and bay leaves, and stir for 2 minutes.
• 4. Add chopped ginger and cook for 1 minute.
• 5. Reduce the heat to low, add the diced green chiles and 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes.
• 6. Simmer on low heat for 25 minutes.
• 7. Remove the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom and cloves)'.
• 8. Place ~2/3 of the cashews in a blender, and grind into powder. Add a SMALL amount of water, and mix into a paste.
• 9. Add 1 Tbsp of tomato paste, along with cashew paste to the makhani sauce (you will likely need to add a small amount of water to the blender in order to get all of the cashew paste out of the blender).
• 10. Add 1/2 tsp of chill powder, and 1 Tbsp honey. Stir for ~3 minutes.
• 11. Stir in 1/4 cup of butter, and stir until it melts.
• 12. Add 1/2 tsp of salt (optional), and 1 tsp fenugreek leaves, then simmer for a further 20 minutes.
• 13. In a large frypan, melt a small amount of butter, and add remaining 1/3 of the cashews, along with the cooked chicken. Cook for ~3 minutes on medium-high.
• 14. Reduce heat to low. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cashews, and then add 1/4 cup of whipping cream. Stir for ~ 3 minutes.
• Serve with rice and/or naan.

MURGH MAKHANI (INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Stir the yogurt and tandoori masala powder together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined; add the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. Drain and discard any excess marinade.
• Puree the onion, ginger, and garlic with the water in a blender until it forms a smooth paste; set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken in the hot oil until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons in the skillet. Fry the onion paste in the hot oil until the moisture is mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the garam masala and chili powder over the mixture; cook 1 minute more. Pour the tomato sauce into the mixture, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook another 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan along with the half and half; bring to a boil. Add the butter, fenugreek leaves, and salt; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until the chicken pieces are no longer pink in the middle, 15 to 20 minutes.

BUTTER CHICKEN - (MURGH MAKHANI)

Steps:

• Perforate the chicken pieces with either fork tines or with little knife cuts. (The idea is to allow the marinade to penetrate the pieces somewhat and have more surface areas to cling to.) Mix well the ingredients for the marinade and rub into the chicken pieces. Let it marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator, overnight if possible for best results.
• Heat half the butter on medium in a heavy-bottomed pan and put in the chicken along with the marinade. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes or till the chicken is fully cooked. After the liquids have evaporated, stir fry the chicken for some time in the residual fat.
• Heat the remaining butter in a saucepan and add the red chilli powder, coriander, cumin and black pepper. (See TIP at bottom) Fry for a few seconds. (See Step 6 Tip.).
• Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar and salt and cook uncovered on medium for about 7 minutes until the puree thickens and the fat separates. Stir in the whisked cream and reduce the heat to low.
• Add the chicken, chopped ginger and green chillies to the simmering gravy. Sprinkle salt to taste if needed. Mix well. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes or till the curry is thoroughly heated through.
• Just before serving pour melted butter over the curry. Garnish with a swirl of fresh cream and finely chopped coriander leaves.
• TIP: For a thicker and richer gravy cashewnut paste (soak cashews in water for an hour or so and grind them) can be added while making the gravy in step 3 -- fry it along with the spice powders and then proceed as above.