Murgh Makhanwala (Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani)

Murgh Makhanwala (Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani) a very well known North-Indian chicken preparation is a rich, creamy and luscious tomato-based curry cooked with juicy grilled tandoori chicken pieces. It sure is very indulgent and flavourful. Perfect well with butter naan!! 

 “Food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power, has that ability to comfort.”

~ Norman Kolpas

OMG! guys this dish is absolutely YUMMMM! Look at it.. Doesn’t it look very inviting?!

Really! It is SO SO good!

You will never ever MISS restaurant style butter chicken or murgh makhani anymore. Infact after eating this Butter Chicken you will for sure stop ordering it at any INDIAN restaurants. 

This ever so popular North-Indian Murgh Makhanwala is better than restaurant style Butter Chicken. 😀

I PROMISE you won’t miss restaurant style Butter Chicken!! 

Murgh Makhanwala (Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani) as the name implies is a buttery rich, mildly spiced tomato based curry.  Something I don’t prepare on a regular basis at home coz as you can see this dish is extremely delicious but quite calorific because of the use of all that butter as well as cashew and almonds paste and lots of cream.

So when ever I make Murgh Makhani or Butter Chicken which is not quite often (though I can eat it every single day :p): I do love to indulge and devour this butter chicken with hot home made naan bread. I can’t  even imagine Murgh Makhanwala with out butter naan.

As a kid, I still remember this restaurant Grand Central in Mumbai and when ever we used to pass by this restaurant, lingering aroma of butter chicken cooking filled the cold air and wafts through the air to sensory cells in the nose and that used to make our stomach rumble so much that every time with out fail, we end up in the restaurant eating this delicious and creamy Murgh Makhani with butter and garlic naan. It is still one of the best butter chicken I have ever eaten.

And I have tried many many recipes to replicate the butter chicken from the restaurant  and this Murgh Makhanwala (Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani) recipe comes very very close to it. 🙂

HAPPY DANCE! 😀

You all must have known by now that my hubster is gone all gluten free and so did I just to support him. (which gets very difficult sometime).

But, this weekend was my guilt free gluten indulging weekend! Man-o-man how I missed my gluten. 

I completely devoured myself to this super creamy and delicious Butter Chicken with Homemade whole wheat butter naan! Oh man! I Love it! 

Murgh Makhanwala (Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani) is extremely easy to make, grilled tandoori chicken is cooked in buttery, creamy and silky smooth, mildly spiced tomato based curry. 

I served this Butter Chicken with “Sirke wale Pyaz” (onions in vinaigrette) a condiment served with north Indian food in every restaurant and  with Home made Butter Naan! 

Murgh Makhanwala (Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani)

2015-09-19 10:22:00

Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani a very well known North-Indian chicken preparation is a rich, creamy and delicate tomato-based curry cooked with juicy grilled tandoori chicken pieces. It sure is very indulgent and flavourful. Perfect well with butter naan!!

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For tandoori Chicken

1. 750 gms Chicken ( I used chicken drumsticks and chicken thighs, you can also use boneless chicken breast)
2. 3/4 cup yogurt
3. 2 tbsp lemon juice
4. 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder ( Its very mild and gives a glorious red color to the tandoori)
5. 3 tbsp coriander leaves
6. 2 green chillies
7. 1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
8. 2 tbsp Tandoori masala powder ( I used store bought tandoori masala)
9. salt as per taste
10. 1 tbsp oil

For the curry sauce

1. 7-8 large ripe, red juicy tomatoes, finely chopped (you can also use canned plum tomatoes)
2. 2 tbsp tomato paste
3. 5 tbsp butter
4. 1 black cardamom
5. 3-4 green cardamom
6. 3 cloves
7. 1 1/2 inch cinnamon
8. 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
9. 10-12 cashewnuts, ground into paste
10. 10-12 almonds, skinned and ground into paste
11. 1 1/2 tbsp honey or sugar (you can adjust the amount of sugar or honey as per your taste)
12. 1/4 cup cream ( i used half and half)
13. 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
14. 1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried methi leaves)
15. salt to taste
16. coriander leaves for garnish

To make the Tandoori

1. Make a paste of coriander and green chillies
2. In a large bowl mix together yogurt, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, tandoori masala, Kashmiri red chilli powder and coriander-green chilli paste, oil and salt.
3. Marinate the chicken pieces with this tandoori-yogurt mixture and mix everything well and refrigerate it preferably over night or atleast for 4-5 hours.
4. Now when you are ready, remove the marinated chicken from the fridge.
5. Heat the grill. Now place the chicken pieces onto the rack over a baking tray.
6. Brush or spray with little oil and grill 40 -45 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces once after 25 minutes and cook for another 20-25 minutes or until lightly charred and completely cooked through.
7. Remove from the oven and keep it aside for later use.

To make the Silky Smooth Butter Chicken Sauce

1. Heat butter in a thick bottomed pan on medium heat and add the black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon and fry for few seconds until its fragrant.
2. Then add the ginger- garlic paste and continue to sauté until the raw smell disappears.
3. Now toss in the chopped tomatoes and the tomato paste along with some salt and fry on medium heat for around 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are broken down and oil start to separate from the tomatoes.
4. Switch off the flame and let the tomatoes cool down a bit.
5. In a blender or food processor add these cooked tomato sauce along with the cashewnuts, almonds and one cup of warm water and puree to achieve that restaurant style silky smooth sauce.
6. Now in the same pan add the pureed tomato sauce and bring it to a boil. Add more hot water to the sauce to achieve the desired consistency of the sauce (I added another cup of hot water) and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Now check the seasoning, add salt if required and the sugar/honey and kasoori methi to the sauce and continue simmering the sauce for another 5 minutes.
8. Add the cooked tandoori chicken along with garam masala, stir to combine so that the chicken pieces are well coated with the sauce, cover and cook on low heat for further 10 minutes.
9. Lastly add the cream to the sauce and stir well. Simmer for another 3 minutes.
10. Remove from the heat.
11. Plate the butter chicken and garnish it with some coriander leaves and drizzle with some cream.
12. Serve it warm with hot naan bread or rice.

Gastronomic BONG https://thegastronomicbong.com/

I hope you enjoy this making and specially devouring this Murgh Makhanwala (Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani).. 😀

Bon Appetite!!!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Love Arpita