Butter Chicken- The dish, which is also called Murg Makhni in Hindi.

There are three types of humans in this world. Those who fondness of Murg Makhni, those who think Murg Makhni is overrated and those who have never tasted Murg Makhni. 

Every region in the country has its own flavours and ingredients that add hints to different micro-cuisines, and each cuisine has its own History and Heritage. As famous as Indian cuisine is international, it is summarized by a few dishes, but the thousands of recipes from Kashmir to Kanyakumari would make an impossible-to-lift cookbook.

With that established, let’s know about one of the dishes that has crossed boundaries to become a staple in Indian restaurants all over the world: tomato-based, reddish-orange, creamy Murg Makhni.

Who Invented Butter Chicken(Murg Makhni)?

This is where the debate starts. There are two families that claim that it’s their patrimony, and it’s hard to determine who has the right account.

So, Before the partition of India and Pakistan, Kundan Lal Gujral made tandoori chicken in a Dhaba in Peshawar in the 1920s. After the partition, he came to Delhi and opened a restaurant, Moti Mahal, Darya Ganj. Back in those days, the unsold leftovers couldn’t be stored in a fridge. Gujral didn’t want to be wasteful, so he experimented with dried chunks of chicken, added tomatoes, butter, and some masalas to the gravy and thus, gave birth to the famous butter chicken. 

Recipe of Butter Chicken

Ingredients

1 ½ tbsp butter

5 green cardamom pods

1-inch cinnamon stick

4 cloves

1 small onion finely chopped

1 heaped tbsp grated ginger

2 green chillies slit lengthwise

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or mild paprika)

½ tsp garam masala powder

3 tbsp tomato puree

150mls double cream

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Kasoori methi/ fenugreek leaf powder

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander for garnish

Method

  1. Make Tandoori Chicken. Once the chicken is cooked set aside and proceed to make the makhani sauce below
  2. Heat a heavy bottom saucepan and add the butter. Add green cardamom, cinnamon stick and cloves. Fry for 20 seconds, and add the onions and sauté for 5-7 mins on medium heat until they take on a light brown colour.
  3. Add the grated ginger and slit green chillies. Fry for a further minute and add the chilli powder, and garam masala powder along with the tomato puree. Stir well and cook for a couple of minutes. Now gradually add the double cream stirring continuously to mix all the spices with the cream. Simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  4. At this stage add a dash of water if the curry is too thick. Stir in the honey and the fenugreek powder. Season to taste. Now add the cooked chicken pieces and simmer the curry on low heat for 8-10 minutes. Garnish with coriander and serve with rice, roti or paratha.