Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) Restaurant Style!
- Ready In:
- 6hrs
- Ingredients:
- 25
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
-
For the Tandoori chicken marinade
- 500 g boneless chicken thighs or 500 g chicken breasts
- 1⁄4 cup yogurt (high fat is best)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1 -2 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
- 5 -8 garlic cloves, crushed or 50 g garlic
- 3 -4 tablespoons grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 3 tablespoons oil
-
For the sauce
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 5 cloves
- 2 -3 bay leaves
- green chili pepper, finely diced (to taste)
- 750 g ripe tomatoes, chopped or 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1⁄2 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped ginger
- 1⁄2 cup cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1⁄2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fenugreek leaves
- 1⁄4 cup butter
- 1⁄4 cup whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons oil
- wooden skewer (if planning to oven-bake chicken)
- 100 ml water (if using whole tomatoes instead of canned crushed tomatoes)
directions
- Stage 1: Prepare the chicken and marinade (approx 4.5 hours).
-
Grill Method:
- 1. Crush/grate garlic and ginger into a paste.
- 2. Place chicken in a large metal or other non-porous bowl and add ginger-garlic paste.
- 3. Thoroughly mix the chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, and the ginger-garlic paste together (ensure the chicken is evenly coated).
- 4. In another bowl, mix the yogurt and 1/2 Tbsp Kashmiri chill powder with a whisk until evenly mixed 5. Add the yogurt mixture, along with 1Tbsp oil, to the bowl with the chicken and ginger-garlic paste.
- 6. Mix thoroughly, and then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
-
Oven Bake method:
- 1. Crush/grate garlic and ginger into a paste.
- 2. Cut chicken into cubes.
- 3. Place chicken in a large metal or other non-porous bowl and add ginger-garlic paste.
- 4. Thoroughly mix the chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, and the ginger-garlic paste together (ensure the chicken is evenly coated).
- 5. In another bowl, mix the yogurt and 1/2 Tbsp Kashmiri chill powder with a whisk until evenly mixed 6. Add the yogurt mixture, along with 1Tbsp oil, to the bowl with the chicken and ginger-garlic paste.
- 7. Mix thoroughly, and then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
- 8. Soak wooden skewers in water while chicken is marinading.
- Stage 2: Grill or Oven-Bake Chicken.
-
Grill Method:
- 1. Remove chicken from refrigerator and place chicken on wax paper in a grill or BBQ safe sheet. grill or BBQ on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
- 2. Remove chicken from grill and let cool.
- 3. Cut chicken into cubes, and then return chicken to refrigerator (until the sauce is ready).
- 4. Remove chicken from oven and let cool. Place in refrigerator until sauce is ready.
-
Oven-Bake Method:
- 1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
- 2. Remove chicken from refrigerator and place chicken on the wooden skewers.
- 3. Place skewers in a oven-proof baking dish and bake for ~20 minutes, or until chicken is almost cooked through (NOTE: you will finish cooking chicken briefly in the sauce later).
- Stage 3: Prepare Makhani Sauce.
-
If using 750g whole tomatoes:
- 1. Peel and finely chop ginger.
- 2. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a medium saucepan on medium to medium-high heat.
- 3. When the oil is hot, add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and bay leaves, and stir for 2 minutes.
- 4. Add chopped ginger and cook for 1 minute.
- 5. Reduce the heat to low, add the diced green chiles and 750g tomatoes, along with 100ml water.
- 6. Simmer on low heat for 25 minutes.
- 7. Remove the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom and cloves), and then pour the sauce into a blender to puree until smooth.
- 8. Sieve the pureed mixture to remove any lumps, and return to saucepan.
- 9. Place ~2/3 of the cashews in a blender, and grind into powder. Add a SMALL amount of water, and mix into a paste.
- 10. Add 1 Tbsp of tomato paste, along with cashew paste to the makhani sauce (you will likely need to add a small amount of water to the blender in order to get all of the cashew paste out of the blender).
- 11. Add 1/2 tsp of chill powder, and 1 Tbsp honey. Stir for ~3 minutes.
- 12. Stir in 1/4 cup of butter, and stir until it melts.
- 13. Add 1/2 tsp of salt (optional), and 1 tsp fenugreek leaves, then simmer for a further 20 minutes.
- 14. In a large frypan, melt a small amount of butter, and add remaining 1/3 of the cashews, along with the cooked chicken. Cook for ~3 minutes on medium-high.
- 15. Reduce heat to low. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cashews, and then add 1/4 cup of whipping cream. Stir for ~ 3 minutes.
-
If using 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes:
- 1. Peel and finely chop ginger.
- 2. Heat 3 Tbsp oil on medium to medium-high heat.
- 3. When the oil is hot, add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and bay leaves, and stir for 2 minutes.
- 4. Add chopped ginger and cook for 1 minute.
- 5. Reduce the heat to low, add the diced green chiles and 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes.
- 6. Simmer on low heat for 25 minutes.
- 7. Remove the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom and cloves)’.
- 8. Place ~2/3 of the cashews in a blender, and grind into powder. Add a SMALL amount of water, and mix into a paste.
- 9. Add 1 Tbsp of tomato paste, along with cashew paste to the makhani sauce (you will likely need to add a small amount of water to the blender in order to get all of the cashew paste out of the blender).
- 10. Add 1/2 tsp of chill powder, and 1 Tbsp honey. Stir for ~3 minutes.
- 11. Stir in 1/4 cup of butter, and stir until it melts.
- 12. Add 1/2 tsp of salt (optional), and 1 tsp fenugreek leaves, then simmer for a further 20 minutes.
- 13. In a large frypan, melt a small amount of butter, and add remaining 1/3 of the cashews, along with the cooked chicken. Cook for ~3 minutes on medium-high.
- 14. Reduce heat to low. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cashews, and then add 1/4 cup of whipping cream. Stir for ~ 3 minutes.
- Serve with rice and/or naan.
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