Butter chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, is a popular Indian dish made with marinated chicken pieces and a rich tomato-yogurt sauce. Cooks can adjust ingredients and spices to their liking. The sauce is thickened with almond butter or cashew paste and served with melted butter on top. It is different from tikka masala, which has sautéed chicken and different spices.
Butter chicken is a dish of Indian cuisine that has become popular all over the world. In India, this main dish is called Murgh Makhani. Boneless, skinless, marinated chicken pieces are browned before being combined with a rich tomato-yoghurt sauce. The name refers to the melted butter poured over the chicken dish before serving. Butter chicken can be served with naan bread or steamed rice and black lentils called kaali daal.
As with many international recipes, cooks tend to adjust ingredients according to what is readily available, as well as their own preferences. Some cooks prefer to make this dish with boneless chicken breasts, while others may use thighs. The amount of heat from spices like chili powder is another adjustment cooks often make when making butter chicken. Common spices added to this dish other than chili powder include bay leaf, curry powder, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, fenugreek, and coriander.
To start the dish, skinless, boneless chicken pieces are marinated for at least an hour in the refrigerator. The marinade can include lime juice, garlic and other flavorings. Next, the chicken is browned by roasting, grilling or frying. Chopped onions can be sautéed in cooking oil in a skillet before adding tomatoes. Some cooks like to use canned tomatoes and tomato paste, while for others, just fresh vegetables will do. As the onions and tomatoes simmer, the spices blend to create a wonderful flavor and aroma.
The sauce reduces in volume as it cooks and is stirred, making it rich and flavorful. The yogurt makes the sauce creamy and smooth. Almond butter or cashew paste is often added to this butter chicken sauce to achieve the desired consistency. These products are very similar to peanut butter, they thicken the sauce and add a nutty flavor to the dish. Once the sauce and chicken are placed in the pan ready to serve, melted butter is poured over the top.
Butter chicken is not the same as makhanwalla, or what the British call tikka masala. Chicken makhanwalla or tikka masala has similar creamy tomato sauce. However, the chicken is sauteed in butter rather than having it poured onto the plate before serving. Also, the spices tend to differ at least a bit with the more commonly used garam masala and cumin seeds.
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