Indian Chicken Butter Masala Murgh Makhani Food

INDIAN CHICKEN BUTTER MASALA-MURGH MAKHANI

Steps:

• Apply red chili powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and set aside for 20 minutes. This is the first marinade.
• Combine all ingredients of the second marinade (see ingredient list). Apply this marinade to the chicken and refrigerate for three to four hours; overnight is best.
• Put the chicken on skewers and cook on a grill turning once. Cook until done. Do not overcook. Baste it with butter/ghee/oil or marinade if you want, a couple of times while cooking. Set aside once done.
• Cooking the Sauce:
• Note: This recipe makes more than you need for this recipe which is two cups of the sauce, it freezes well until you are ready to make this recipe again.
• Heat butter/ghee or oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Sauté for a couple of minutes or till they start to sizzle and get fragrant; add the methi/fenugrek seeds. When the methi seeds sizzle, add ginger paste and garlic paste, and the slit green chillies. Cook in medium heat for five to eight minutes; the water from the paste would have evaporated and the ginger garlic paste reduced in quantity.
• Add tomato puree or paste, red chili powder, and salt. Cook (may partially cover during cooking) at medium heat for about 15 - 20 minutes. The puree will reduce to a thick paste and the oil/ghee will separate from the sides of the pan.
• After the tomatoes are cooked down, you might want to blend the cooked sauce (along with all the spices) into a smooth puree, if you want a restaurant like smooth texture for the sauce - especially if you are using fresh tomatoes. return it back to the pan after blending and continue with the rest of the process.
• Add 2 ½ cups of hot water to the pan (or if you want it less soupy and want the sauce to coat the chicken pieces and have a little bit extra, add less water or simmer for longer time to achieve the consistency as per your taste), add the almond paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes; add sugar and crushed kasuri methi.
• Add cooked grilled chicken pieces. Stir well to combine - the chicken will be well coated with the sauce. Cover and simmer for eight to ten minutes; Lower the heat and add garam masala and the heavy cream. Stir in the cream and simmer at low heat for about five more minutes.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro and add a splash of cream before serving.
• Enjoy with some hot garlic 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.

CHICKEN MAKHANI (INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce.
• Mix together cornstarch and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN (CHICKEN MAKHANI)

Steps:

• Mix garam masala, tandoori masala, curry, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl to make spice mixture.
• Place chicken in a large bowl and add 1/2 the spice mixture; turn to coat evenly.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in remainder of the spice mixture, lemon juice, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir until combined, about 1 minute.
• Stir tomato puree into onion mixture and cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Pour in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Blend cashews in a blender until finely ground. Add sauce to the blender; puree until smooth.
• Pour blended sauce over chicken in the skillet. Simmer until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN (MURGH MAKHANI)

Steps:

• Melt the butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, onion and garlic and stir fry it until the chicken is cooked and the onions are translucent. Pour contents into the slow cooker.
• Add remaining ingredients and mix gently.
• Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve over steamed basmati rice and with Naan bread for dipping.

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.

MURGH MAKHANI - MOGHUL BUTTER CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a bowl with the garlic, ginger, salt, chilli powder and lemon juice. Mix, cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Mix together the yoghurt, garam masala, turmeric and cumin and add to the chicken, making sure that each piece is well coated with the mixture. Cover again and chill for 3-4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Put the marinated chicken pieces on a grill rack set on a baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes. Brush the chicken pieces with a little oil and turn them over. Bake for another 10-12 minutes until just cooked through.
• For the sauce, heat the ghee or butter in a pan and add the garlic and ginger. Fry for a minute or so then add the cardamom, cloves, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, fenugreek and chilli powder. Stir well and fry for 1-2 minutes until they give off a lovely aroma.
• Stir in the tomato puree and lemon juice and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and stir well to coat. Finally, add the butter and cream and stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a warm bowl and serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander.