Murgh Makhani Delhi Style Food

MURGH MAKHANI (DELHI STYLE)

Steps:

• Rinse the tomatoes and add to a suitably sized saucepan with all remaining ingredients for the 'special tomato puree'.
• Bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool COMPLETELY.
• Once cooled, use a hand blender OR add to a blender and blend to a puree.
• Pour through a metal strainer and allow the liquid to collect on the bottom. Discard the remaining pulp and seeds.
• Soak the cashew nuts in ¼ cup of warm water for 15 minutes.
• Add to a mixer/ grinder along with the soaking liquid and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
• Heat 6 Tbsp of the oil in a wide nonstick wok/ pan.
• Add the marinated chicken and toss immediately so that the chicken doesn't stick to the pan.
• Cook continuously on medium-high heat, stirring throughout.
• The liquid will be released from the chicken, allow this to be absorbed, with occasional stirring.
• Once the liquid has evaporated toss continuously till the chicken pieces are slightly crisp along the edges, still tender and completely cooked. Remove this chicken to a plate.
• Wipe down the pan and add the remaining 4 Tbsp oil.
• When the oil is hot, add the ginger-garlic paste.
• Cook briefly till softened.
• Add the Kashmiri chilly powder and allow a nice deep color to develop.
• Stir and add the prepared tomato sauce.
• Bring to boil and then simmer for 7 minutes.
• To a small dry pan, add the Kasuri methi and roast till fragrant. Crush this to a powder.
• When the sauce has thickened, Add the prepared cashew paste, butter, garam masala, and tandoori masala if using, dry roasted Kasuri methi powder, salt, and sugar.
• Now add the fried chicken to this gravy and cook for a couple of minutes.
• When the gravy is quite thick, add the cream. Stir through and remove from heat.
• To serve add a tiny drizzle of cream over the top and garnish with fresh coriander leaves (cilantro).

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.

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.

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 puree 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 and cayenne.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillt over medium heat.
• Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne.
• Stir in about 1/3 of the sauce and simmer until liquid has reduced and chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
• Pour the rest of the sauce into the chicken.
• Mix together cornstarch and water, then stir into the sauce.
• Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

HOW TO MAKE MURGH MAKHANI

Steps:

• Wash the Chicken.
• Take the boneless chicken thighs and wash them in cold water. Put them into a colander and pat dry with a kitchen cloth.
• Add the 50g of garlic and ginger paste to the bowl, along with half a teaspoon of salt.
• Using your hands to mix everything together in the colander, to make sure the chicken gets a really even coating of the mix.
• Put 65ml of natural yoghurt into a new bowl. Add half a tablespoon of oil and half a tablespoon of chilli powder.
• Whisk these ingredients together.
• Cover the chicken with the whisked mixture. Once again use your hands to make sure that the chicken is thoroughly coated in the mixture. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and keep mixing.
• Cover the chicken in cling film and put it in a refrigerator.
• Leave the chicken to marinate for no less than 4 hours.
• After 4 hours, put the pieces of chicken on some greaseproof paper, and place under the grill for 10 to 15 minutes. There is no need to turn them.
• Remove the chicken from the grill and leave to cool for a few minutes. Then cut it into bite-sized pieces. Cover with cling film or plastic wrap and put it back in the refrigerator.
• Start by peeling and finely chopping 15g of ginger. Then heat 40ml of vegetable oil in a large saucepan, on a medium to high heat.
• When the oil is hot, add the four sticks of cinnamon to the pan.
• Then, add the 5 cardamom pods.
• 5 cloves.
• and a few bay leaves.
• stir for a couple of minutes, then add the chopped ginger, cook for a further minute and add the 6 green chillies.
• Put the 750 g of fresh, whole tomatoes into the pan and stir. Turn the hob down to a medium heat and carry on stirring for a couple of minutes. Turn the heat down low and leave to sit for about a minute. Then add 100ml of water, put the lid on, and leave to simmer for about 25 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked to a purée.
• Take the pan off the heat. Remove any whole spices.
• Now you need to crush the tomato mixture into a paste like consistency. You could use a wooden spoon, but a blender is preferable. Blend until smooth.
• Use a sieve to strain the puréed mixture into the saucepan to get rid of any lumps. Add a little water to get all the mixture out. Put the pan on a high heat to bring it back to the boil.
• In the meantime, use the blender to grind about two thirds of the cashew nuts, that's 50g, into powder. Then add a tiny amount of water and blend into a paste.
• Once the sauce is hot and bubbling, add one tablespoon of tomato paste.
• Then the ground cashew nuts. Add a little water to the blender to get all the paste out.
• Add half a teaspoon of chilli powder.
• and a tablespoon of honey.
• and stir for about 3 minutes.
• Then add 50g of butter and stir until it melts. Next, a generous sprinkling of salt. Leave the sauce for about 5 minutes and then stir in one teaspoon of Kasoori methi, which are the ground dried fenugreek leaves.
• Leave the sauce gently bubbling over a medium heat and move onto stage.
• Finish the sauce.
• In another frying pan melt a little butter. Use a sharp knife to roughly chop the remaining third, or 25 g, of the cashew nuts and add them to the pan. Then, throw in the seasoned chicken tikka that you grilled earlier.
• Fry for about 3 minutes on a high flame.
• Add the sauce.
• Cover the chicken with the sauce. Then add 60 ml of single cream.
• Then stir the chicken and sauce together for about 3 minutes. It should be simmering while you do this.
• Serve.
• Decorate with a little drizzle of cream and serve with naan bread or rice.

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.