Step by step Indian Butter Chicken Recipe. This is the creamiest Indian butter chicken recipe you ever had. But, can you guess how this delicious curry originated. Of course, it’s not traditional Indian food.
Well, let me tell you a story. A famous restaurant in Dehli, India called Moti Mehal was run by Kundan Lal Gujral in 1950’s. He created this dish out of need. He needed a essential way to utilise leftover grilled chicken tikka, which would dry out if not served immediately. So, he used them cleverly in a tomatoey and buttery gravy to create what we call today, butter chicken or Chicken Makhani. Indeed, necessity is mother of all delicious food inventions.
Tip for Butter Chicken
- You can use tinned, fresh or puréed tomato. I took three tomato and liquidized it with half cup of water to make my purée.
- You can use almonds instead of cashew or you may skip the nuts altogether and add extra cream.
*I have already mentioned other alternative for Tandoori masala in recipe card. - You can also use your leftover Tandoori or Tikka chicken to make butter chicken.
- We soak the skewer to prevent burning of wood. Wet wooden stick will not catch fire over direct flame.
- Grilling chicken on direct flame is optional because it takes extra time and effort. So if you skip it, you may cook and smoke un-skewered chicken and follow rest of the recipe as it is.
- The step of smoking chicken is a must for best flavours.
How to make Indian Butter Chicken Recipe
Soak skewer in water for at least 2 hours. (This skewering is required only if you grill chicken on direct flame or you can skip it.)
Wash, dry and cut chicken in chunks. Take all ingredient for chicken in a bowl. Mix well and marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Skewer chicken on wooden sticks.
Cook chicken for 7-10 minutes on high heat until water dries. Turn the chicken skewers to cook both sides.
With the help of two to tongs , hold each skewer over direct flame and cook for 1-2 minutes to get black grilling marks. (This step to cook on direct flame is optional.)
Smoke the chicken by keeping red hot charcoal between the chicken. And drizzling few drops of oil on it. Cover immediately to trap the smoke. Leave it covered while you prepare the gravy.
Heat butter in the same pan. Add tomato purée, ketchup and all spices of gravy. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
Now add cashew powder, cream, and grilled chicken. Mix well. Thin out gravy to desired consistency with about ½ cup milk and some water.
Garnish with some extra cream, fenugreek leaves, and nuts.Enjoy creamiest butter chicken.
Don't forget to take photo and post on Instagram with #loverecipe52
My other similar recipes
Check my other Chicken curry recipes here in this post.
Indian Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For chicken
- 500 grams chicken, ,cut in 1 inch chunks
- 2 tablespoon Tandoori masala, (or tikka masala or 1 extra teaspoon red chilli powder)
- ½ tablespoon ginger paste
- ½ tablespoon garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds or powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder, (garam masala)
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon yogurt
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
Other
- Coal to smoke
- 6 wooden skewer, (soaked in water for 4 hours)
For Gravy
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1½ cup tomato purée, (or blend 3 large tomato and ½ cup water into smooth purée)
- 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- Spices
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves, (kasuri meethi)
- ½ tablespoon ginger paste
- ½ tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds or powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Other
- 1 fistful or 50 grams cashew nuts, , powdered
- ½ cup cream
Instructions
For Chicken
- Combine all the ingredients of chicken in a bowl and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Skewer the chicken chunks evenly. ( Skip skewering if you don’t want to cook chicken over direct flame.)
- Cook chicken in a pan for 7-8 minutes on high flame, do not cover the lid.
- With the help two tongs hold skewers over direct flame and cook until you get few grilling marks. (This Step is optional.)
To Smoke
- Heat a charcoal until red hot then place charcoal between chicken and drizzle few drops of oil. Cover tightly so smoke is trapped.
For gravy
- While chicken smoked, prepare gravy. Heat butter in a pan and add all ingredients except cashew powder and cream. Cook for 5 minutes until color changes.
- Remove chicken from skewers and add to the gravy. Also add cashew powder and cream. Mix well.
- Thin out gravy to desirable consistency with water or milk.
- Simmer over low heat for few minutes until a little oil rises over top.
- Garnish with some cream and fenugreek leaves.
Insiya says
An amazing recipe!
My husband is always ready to have it one more time:)
I make it with increase amount of kashmiri chilli, instead of red chilli and half the quantity of cream.
It tastes divine.
Thanku so much for amazing recipes and making cooking so much easier:)
The pictorial demonstration is so helpful?
Recipe 52 says
Thanks a lot and love your tips too. Some followers do complain that the color doesn't turn out as bright. With increased Kashmiri chili it would be perfect. I'll try with less cream too. Thanks, love to hear from.
Paul says
Are the last two pictures your dish or it's a dish from another website? The color is very different
Recipe 52 says
One picture in taken indoor, another outdoor in natural daylight. Some editing all brightens the color. But same dish and turn out yum! You can add extra Kashmiri chilli or paprika if you want dark color. When you leave the hot curry covered for few minutes, the top layer is darker than real curry that’s what you see in photo.
Recipe 52 says
Yeah... all photos that show steps are from cell phone, and cover photo is from DSLR.
Les says
Hi, would you be so kind as to write your recipe of 'all spice' ( garam masala). This can be confusing as all spice is known as Jamaican berry. Different spice in itself. Every region in South Asian has a different version of Garam Masala.
Thanks,
Les
Recipe 52 says
Thank you for suggesting. I'll definitely write a separate post for it.