RESTAURANT STYLE BUTTER CHICKEN OR MURG MAKHANI IN 3 EASY STEPS.

RECIPES FOR CHRISTMAS 🎄

FLASHBACK :

(I had written this blog way back in 2021, while we were struggling with the pandemic period. Sitting  simply at home is just not my cup of tea and I felt I  should utilize this time and opportunity  concretely. I started dedicating my time more for cooking and  improving my culinary skills, learning  new recipes and perfecting the one’s I already know)

I had eaten Butter Chicken many times before but the experience of eating it in Jabalpur was totally different,(It is a lovely place in Madhya pradesh in India.)

I was on vacation with my family( Carefree happy days as a kid)😀 At lunch time we went to this beautiful place for food. My dad ordered butter chicken our favorite among other dishes. It was the most yumilicious,mouth watering, perfectly cooked chicken with the perfect balance of flavor and aroma. The gravy was a perfect 10 on the scale of Sweet and spice. So now whenever I make butter chicken I visualize myself to be in that happy place, in that period, in that moment, to get that perfect taste.

I can proudly say the dish, the version of butter chicken I am presenting here has gone through lots of experiments. So that you can have a perfectly balanced dish loaded with flavor,taste and spices. So let’s dive in.

BACKGROUND :

History Of This Amazing Recipe:

According to Wikipedia, Butter Chicken originated in Delhi, the Capital of India,sometime during 1950z a man named Kundan Lal Gujral operated a restaurant in the city called “MOTI MAHAL( “He had settled in Delhi after some political upheaval in another region in India). The original dish is from Punjab where it is also known as Murg makhani. This is a totally different dish from Chicken tikka, which is a British recipe. Though there might be some similarities. (For a more detailed history log on to” Food.ndtv.com)

BUTTER CHICKEN: ( CALORIES)

• Calories: 288.7
• Potassium: 584.3 MG.
• Total Carbohydrates: 9.9 g.
• Dietary fiber: 1.3 g
• Sugar :3.1 g

(This dish is not for the faint hearted.)😅 😁

TRIVIA: BUTTER CHICKEN IS THE MOST BROWSED DISH ON THE INTERNET.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Suggestion to serve the BUTTER CHICKEN. It goes best with Naan, jeera rice or parathas oozing with ghee ( makhan- butter)

• PREP TIME : 20 MINUTES.
• COOK TIME : 30 MINUTES.
• MARINATION : 12 HOURS MAX IF THE CHICKEN IS MATURE AND 2 HOURS IF THE FLESH IS TENDER – Follow this method to get that perfect juicy 🍖 meat)
• TOTAL TIME : 50 MINUTES.
• SERVING : 4 PEOPLE +
• CUISINE : INDIAN
• AUTHOR : LINA @ THE TIKKAZ AND CURRIEZ.

Ingredients for marinate are:

• Chicken boneless: 1/2 kg(kilogram)
• Lemon juice : 3/4 th TBSP (tablespoon)
• Salt : To taste.
• Red chili powder : 2 TSP (tea spoon) or to taste.
• Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek powder) : 1/2 TSP.
• Turmeric: 1/2 TSP.
• Garam masala (powdered whole spices) :1 TSP.
• Mustard oil : 3/4th TBSP ( Gives authentic taste 😋 👌)
• Ginger garlic paste : 1TBSP (preferably freshly made)
• Hung curd : 1/2 cup (should be fresh and not sour)

Ingredients for preparing the gravy( broth) are :

• Butter : 2 TBSP (tablespoon)( use unsalted butter )
• Ginger garlic paste : 1 TSP ( tea spoon)
• Cinnamon stick : 1 to 2 sticks.
• Cardamom green, small : 3 to 4
• Cloves : 2 to 3
• Green chilies : 2 ( give a slight slit in the middle).
• Onion: 2 medium, thinly sliced (Optional if not using cashew paste in the puree.)
• Tomatoes : 4 large, red and ripe for puree purposes or you can use canned tomato puree. 🍅
• Cashew nuts : 16 .(make a paste ready and keep aside.)
• Chilli powder : 1 TSP ( your choice, should give a good red color, I prefer using Kashmiri red chilies)
• Garam masala : 3/4 TSP.
• Honey or sugar : 1/2 TSP (to add the sweet element to the dish)
• Milk cream : 100 ml (fresh and thick)
• Coriander (cilantro): 2 TBSP finely chopped for garnish.
• Nutmeg powder : 1/4 th TSP
• Kewra (pandan) water,aromatic: 1 to 2 drop(Optional)

LET’S MAKE IT IN 3 EASY STEPS :

Step 1 : Roast or Grill Chicken

A) On Gas top or stove top :

Add butter to the pan on a medium flame, when it is hot add the chicken marinate, stir it till it becomes golden brown in color and all the excess fluid has dried up. Remove it on kitchen towel to remove excess fluid or oil.

B) To grill in the oven :

Put the microwave on convection mode . Pre – heat to 200 – 230 Celsius for 15 to 20 mins or till the chicken becomes crisp and golden brown. Grill properly from all sides till the chicken is tender.

Step 2 : Prepare the base gravy or broth.

• In a pan, take butter,add whole spices, stir till they crackle.
• (Optional) Add onion long and thinly sliced, do not over add the onions, it may ulter the taste, I prefer adding cashew paste to the pan. Give it a stir.
• Add the tomatoes at this stage or the tomato puree ,ginger garlic paste and the remaining ingredients for the gravy masala (see the chart).
• Keep it on a medium flame for around 20 to 25 minutes. Let it cool down for sometime,now blend this mix well in a blender,you will get a thick Paste or puree.
• This thick puree is our base for the gravy.

Step 3 : Final process.

• In a pan take unsalted butter,add the whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamom and let it crackle.
• Now add the blended puree,let it simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the grilled or roasted chicken (shred the chicken to make it boneless before adding it to the gravy)
• Cover and cook the gravy for 20 to 25 minutes on medium flame, keep stirring in between as the gravy might burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Remove the lid and add crushed Kasuri methi( Dry fenugreek powder),nutmeg powder or 1 to 2 drops of Kewra water.
• Because the chicken is cooked on the stove top and not on charcoal, to give that smoky element, (take a small bowl,place charcoal in it,add ghee on it,heat it,when it starts emitting smoke,place it inside the pan on top of the gravy for two minutes so that the gravy gets a nice smoky taste,cover the lid)
• Remove the lid,remove the charcoal bowl from the pan,now the gravy has a nice smoky tandoor aroma.
• Switch off the flame, add the cream and cilantro and decorate it,serve it with hot parathas, Naan or zeera rice😋

🎯 I have made this recipe so many times,that I can vouch for it’s amazing  taste. The color might differ in your recipe depending on the color of your chillies.

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See you soon with the next blog 😊❤