Butter Chicken | Chicken Makhani | Restaurant Style Butter Chicken

Among the chicken recipes in Indian cuisine, butter chicken is one of the famous all over the world.It was my long-awaited wish to try this out at home, even though it's best cooked in a tandoor.But many have succeeded in cooking this out on stove top too.This chicken can be made spicy or a mild one.I tried the milder version.Butter chicken is best served with naan, parathas or steamed rice.I tried out this recipe for the first time, but it came out good, and the best flavouring part is the addition of kasuri methi. Do give this a try !!

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Ingredients

first marinade

boneless chicken  500g

red chilly powder  1.5tsp

lime juice 1/2 tsp

salt

second marinade

thick yogurt /greek yogurt 1/2 cup ( not sour)

ginger -garlic paste 2tsp

special spice mix(see recipe below)

for a special spice mix

coriander seeds 1.5 tbsp /coriander powder  2 tsp

turmeric powder  1/4tsp

cloves 3

peppercorn 5-6

cinnamon 3/4'' strand

cardamom 5

cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

fenugreek seeds 1/4 tsp

nutmeg 1/8 tsp

to grind/gravy

almond  5

cashew  5

tomato  4 or puree 1 1/2 cup

sugar 1/4 tsp

kasuri methi  2 tsp

butter  2 tbsp + 1tbsp
*heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup

Method

• Wash and rinse the chicken,keep aside in a colander to drain the water.Marinate the chicken using the first marinade-lime,red chilly powder and salt for 1/2 an hour.
• If you are using greek yogurt,then omit this step.Place the yogurt around 3/4 cup in a strainer/cheese cloth and leave for 10-15 mins to drain all water and to get the thick yogurt.
• Grind the special spice mix (as listed above) into a fine powder in a blender.Mix the thick yogurt and the special spice mix,ginger garlic paste to the first marinated chicken,keep aside for half an hour- 2 hours.

• Heat butter (2tbsp) in a kadai and add the chicken with the coated marinade,leave aside the residual marinade.Shallow fry the chicken for 5 -6 mins until the chicken gets cooked and the masala gets nicely coated ,gets slightly browned and crisp on outside.
• In the mean time,if you are using store brought tomato puree,omit this step.Otherwise,wash &boil the tomatoes in a sauce pan with water for 7-8 mins or till the skin starts to crack open.Drain water,peel skin and cut open.Remove the juices & seeds.Blend the remaining pulp in a blender to smooth. Also grind the almonds and cashews with little water to a smooth paste in another jar,keep aside.
• Add this tomato puree to the cooked chicken with the residual marinade masala.Add salt and sugar.Mix well and let the gravy boil .(may take 5 mins on medium flame)
• Add the ground almond-cashew paste.By this time the gravy may thicken further and butter may appear at the surface.Add the reserved 1 tbsp butter,crushed kasoori methi and whipping cream.Switch off flame.
• Serve warm with naan /rotis.

Servings ~ 3-4  adults

NOTES

* You can omit the last butter(1tbsp) added and the whipping cream to reduce fat.The gravy still tastes very good.

* Plaese follow the recipe word to word to get the perfect restaurant style.They even add food color,which I haven't added,its all natural colors.

* You can grind the tomatoes directly by adding chopped tomatoes but this may reduce color.Adding store brought tomato puree will increase the color too.