Butter Chicken

Name: Butter Chicken
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 4 h 5 min
Total time: 4 h 50 min
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 800 g (1¾ lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, in 4 cm pieces; 150 g (⅔ cup) plain whole-milk yogurt; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, or 1 tsp paprika + ½ tsp cayenne; 2 tsp garam masala, divided: 1 for the marinade, 1 for the sauce; 1 tbsp grated ginger, divided; 4 cloves garlic, grated, divided; 8 g (1⅓ tsp) fine sea salt; 1 tbsp neutral oil; 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, divided; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 green chili, slit; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 can (14 oz) tomato passata or crushed tomatoes, 400 g, blended smooth; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp sugar or honey; 200 ml (¾ cup) water; 150 ml (⅔ cup) heavy cream; 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), crushed between your palms; 3 g (½ tsp) fine sea salt, to taste; 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Charred, yogurt-marinated chicken in a silky tomato, butter and cream sauce

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 45 min
Total: 4 h 50 min
Level: Some skill

Murgh makhani is usually credited to Delhi restaurant cooks of the mid-20th century, who are said to have created it to use up leftover tandoori chicken in a rich tomato and butter gravy. At home, yogurt-marinated thighs are charred under the broiler, then simmered briefly in a gently spiced sauce of tomato, butter, cream and dried fenugreek leaves, which give it its distinctive savory perfume.

Ingredients

Marinade

800 gboneless, skinless chicken thighs (1¾ lb)in 4 cm pieces
150 gplain whole-milk yogurt (⅔ cup)
1 tbsplemon juice
2 tspKashmiri chili powderor 1 tsp paprika + ½ tsp cayenne
2 tspgaram masaladivided: 1 for the marinade, 1 for the sauce
1 tbspgrated gingerdivided
4 clovesgarlicgrated, divided
8 gfine sea salt (1⅓ tsp)
1 tbspneutral oil

Sauce

60 gunsalted butter (4 tbsp)divided
1onionfinely chopped
1green chilislit
1 tspground cumin
1 cantomato passata or crushed tomatoes (14 oz)400 g, blended smooth
1 tbsptomato paste
1 tspsugar or honey
200 mlwater (¾ cup)
150 mlheavy cream (⅔ cup)
1 tbspdried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)crushed between your palms
3 gfine sea salt (½ tsp)to taste
2 tbspchopped cilantro

Diet: Gluten-free
Allergens: milk
Origin: India (Delhi)

Method

Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, chili powder, 1 tsp garam masala, half the ginger and garlic, the salt and oil. Toss with the chicken, cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. 4 h
Heat the broiler (top grill) to high with a rack 10 cm from the element. Spread the chicken on an oiled, foil-lined sheet pan. Broil, turning once, until charred at the edges, 10–14 minutes. It needn't be fully cooked yet. 12 min
Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Cook the onion and green chili until soft and golden, 8–10 minutes. Add the remaining ginger and garlic and the cumin and cook 1 minute. 10 min
Add the passata, tomato paste, sugar and water. Simmer until thickened and the oil begins to separate at the edges, 10 minutes. Blend smooth with a stick blender for a completely smooth sauce (fish out the chili first). 10 min
Add the charred chicken and its juices. Simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and tender, 8–10 minutes. Chicken thighs must reach at least 74°C (165°F) in the thickest piece. 9 min
Stir in the cream, remaining butter and garam masala, and the fenugreek. Simmer 2 minutes. Taste for salt and sweetness. Scatter with cilantro and serve with rice (Perfect Rice) or flatbread (Skillet Yogurt Flatbreads). 2 min

Why it works

Yogurt's mild acidity and calcium loosen the surface proteins without turning them mushy, and its milk proteins and sugars brown fast under fierce heat, giving the charred, smoky note of a tandoor. Simmering the tomato base until the fat separates concentrates its sweetness and cooks off raw acidity. Butter and cream make the sauce silky, and dried fenugreek leaves add the slightly bitter, maple-like aroma that makes it taste like butter chicken rather than tomato cream.

Common mistakes

Skipping the char. Broil until the edges blacken in spots — that's the flavor.
Using breast and simmering too long; it dries out. Thighs stay tender.
Boiling hard after adding cream can split it. Keep it at a simmer.

Variations

Paneer makhani: Replace the chicken with 400 g paneer cubes, skip the marinade time and broil 5 minutes.
Lighter: Use half the butter and replace the cream with whole-milk yogurt stirred in off the heat.

Make ahead and storage

Marinate up to 24 hours. The finished curry keeps 3 days and freezes for 2 months; it's better the next day.

Notes

Dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) are sold in Indian grocers and large supermarkets. Without them the dish is still good. Check your garam masala for additives if cooking gluten free.