Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) is without a doubt one of the most well known Indian dishes around the world. Maybe it's the name (can you think of a more decadent sounding name?), or perhaps it has a flavor profile that appeals across cultures. Whatever the reason, Murgh Makhani has managed to find its way around the globe, showing up on menus from Toronto to Tokyo to Turin.
While I love butter chicken, I have a few problems with many restaurant versions. The first is that it's often sugary sweet. The second issue is that it's often made with leftover tandoori chicken, which by the time it makes it into the butter sauce, could make the cut for an NHL approved hockey puck.
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Why this Recipe Works
- Caramelizing the tomatoes (yes, tomatoes!) gives this butter chicken recipe a natural sweetness that really doesn't need any added sugar.
- The sweetness along with the pleasant tang from the yogurt marinated chicken balances out the rich creaminess from the butter and cream.
- Undercooking the chicken on the grill ensures the chicken doesn't get overcooked and tough once you add it to the sauce.
Butter Chicken vs Tikka Masala
Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala, two cherished dishes, carry their own rich histories that contribute to their unique flavors. Butter Chicken, born in Delhi, India, in the 1950s, was "accidentally" created by chefs who simmered leftover tandoori chicken in a rich tomato and butter gravy. The result was an instant classic, melding smoky tandoori flavors with a buttery, velvety sauce. Tikka Masala's origin is more contentious, with claims of its birth in both India and the UK. Some say it was created in the British curry houses of the 1960s by adding a tomato-based sauce to traditional chicken tikka, while others believe it has deeper roots in Indian cuisine. Regardless of its origin, Tikka Masala is known for its vibrant spice blend and more pronounced flavors, while Butter Chicken is a celebration of simplicity and richness.
Ingredients for Butter Chicken
- Chicken - I prefer using boneless skinless chicken thighs butter chicken because the extra fat on them ensures they stay tender and juicy, but skinless chicken breasts can be used as a leaner option if you don't mind the chicken being dryer and less flavorful.
- Aromatics - A combination of garlic and ginger adds a robust, aromatic flavor to the marinade for the chicken that's foundational to many Indian dishes. The ginger also acts as a meat tenderizer thanks to a proteolytic enzyme it contains called zingibain.
- Plain Yogurt - Adds a pleasant tang and helps further tenderize the chicken.
- Garam Masala - Garam Masala is an Indian spice blend including spices such as cumin, fennel, cinnamon, coriander seeds, chili powder, cloves, and mace. It adds warmth and complexity to the Murgh Makhani. Pre-made blends vary widely, so you may need to try a few before you find one that you like.
- Saffron - Gives a luxurious, fragrant depth and vibrant yellow color. You won't get the same flavor, but you could substitute turmeric for the color.
- Whole Stewed Tomatoes - The base for the curry is caramelized tomatoes, and I like to start with a good can of stewed tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes can be used, but stewed ones are consistent and convenient because they've already been cooked and will require less time to caramelize.
- Tomato Paste - Tomato paste is a concentrated tomato puree, so it's a great way to intensify the tomato flavor of any dish quickly.
- Butter - You can't forget the namesake ingredient, and I like using cultured unsalted butter because it contains a higher concentration of diacetyl, which is the compound responsible for giving butter its flavor.
- Spices - I use a combination of green and black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and fenugreek seeds for the spices in my Murgh Makhani. These whole spices infuse the sauce with a complex array of warm spicy flavors that give Butter Chicken its signature flavor.
- Fresh Chili Peppers - I like using fresh chili peppers to amp up the heat in the curry, but you can use cayenne pepper powder or red chili powder and adjust the amount to suit your tastes.
- Raw Cashew Nuts - Adding a cashew nut puree gives the curry body while creating a rich, creamy texture.
- Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi) - Adds a unique aromatic note that's hard to substitute.
- Heavy Cream - Provides a luxurious finish; coconut cream or extra raw cashew puree could be used as a dairy-free option.
How to Make Butter Chicken
Start by creating a potent garlic and ginger puree in a small food processor, or grate by hand if needed. This combination lays the aromatic groundwork for your butter chicken recipe. Whisk two teaspoons of the ginger garlic paste together with the yogurt, vegetable oil, salt, garam masala, and saffron to make the marinade. Marinate the boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this mixture overnight if possible, as this allows the flavors to fully penetrate the meat.
For the butter chicken sauce, begin by pureeing the stewed tomatoes and paste. This combination gives a concentrated tomato flavor and adds sweetness and body to the sauce. Melt the butter in a pot, and fry the green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. These whole spices infuse the butter with their volatile oils, maximizing their flavor impact.
Add the fenugreek seeds, chili peppers, and remaining garlic-ginger mixture to the butter and spices, and sauté until browned. Then, add the pureed tomato mixture and cook down to a thick paste. This slow reduction caramelizes the natural sugars in the tomatoes, developing a complex sweetness without added sugar. You're also getting Maillard browning, which gives this Indian butter chicken a deep umami-rich taste. This is similar to what happens when you caramelize onion.
While the tomato sauce is reducing, grill the chicken in a broiler or oven until it's lightly charred on the outside without cooking it through. This charring adds a smoky dimension to your murgh makhani, while undercooking ensures the chicken stays tender and moist after cooking it in the sauce.
Blend raw cashew nuts with water to create a smooth, creamy liquid. This adds a rich, creamy texture and provides a nutty undertone that complements the spices. Combine this with the reduced tomato mixture, strain, and simmer with the grilled chicken, salt, fenugreek leaves, and additional garam masala to allow the flavors to meld and the chicken to cook through.
Finish your murgh makhani with heavy cream, stirring gently to combine. This final addition of cream adds a luxurious, velvety texture that makes this dish an unforgettable indulgence.
Once the tomatoes have reduced down to a glossy paste, I whisk in some cashew milk. This not only provides a creamy base which allows me to cut down on the amount of cream I add, it also gives the sauce body. Lastly, I like to strain the spices out of the sauce, making the finished butter chicken easier to eat (there's nothing worse than biting into a fibrous cardamom pod or a mouth numbing clove)
Serve it With
Pairing Butter Chicken with the right accompaniments can elevate this already sumptuous dish to new heights of indulgence. A classic partner is freshly baked naan bread, a soft and fluffy Indian flatbread that's perfect for scooping up the rich, buttery sauce. If you prefer rice, fluffy Basmati rice is the ideal companion. For a refreshing counterbalance, consider a crisp, tangy side salad with cucumber and yogurt, known as raita, or a zesty lemon pickle. These can add a touch of brightness that cuts through the richness of the Murgh Makhani. If you're looking to create a full Indian food feast, complementing with a lentil dish like Dal Masoor and some spiced vegetables will round out the meal, offering a delightful variety of textures and flavors that harmonize with the star of the show, the Butter Chicken.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
For chicken
- 30 grams garlic (~ 5 large cloves, peeled)
- 30 grams fresh ginger (~ 1-inch piece, peeled and sliced)
- 450 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ⅓ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon saffron (threads crushed)
For curry
- 600 grams whole stewed tomatoes (1 ½ small cans)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons cultured unsalted butter
- 6 pods green cardamom
- 1 pod black cardamom
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 fresh chili peppers
- 40 grams raw cashew nuts (about ¼ cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
- 1 teaspoons garam masala
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Put 30 grams fresh ginger and 30 grams garlic into a small food processor and puree, you may need to add a bit of water to make it go. If you don't have a small food processor, you can grate by hand.
- In a small bowl, whisk ⅓ cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon saffron, and 2 teaspoons of the garlic ginger mixture together. Save the remaining garlic ginger mixture for the sauce.
- Put 450 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs in a freezer bag and pour the marinade all over it, rubbing it into the chicken. Squeeze all the air out of the bag and seal it. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
- For the sauce, puree 600 grams whole stewed tomatoes with their juices along with 2 tablespoons tomato paste in a blender or food processor.
- Add 3 tablespoons cultured unsalted butter to a pot along with the 6 pods green cardamom, 1 pod black cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves. Fry the mixture until the cloves are puffy.
- Add 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 2 fresh chili peppers, and remaining garlic ginger mixture and saute until browned, and very fragrant.
- Add the pureed stewed tomatoes and tomato paste and cook this mixture over medium heat until the tomatoes have become very thick and paste-like (about 45 minutes). Once the mixture starts sputtering you'll want to stir it pretty regularly to keep the sputtering under control while maintaining enough heat to reduce the liquid.
- While the tomatoes are reducing, grill the chicken. You can use either an outdoor grill or broiler, but in either case it needs to be very hot. You want to get the outside lightly charred, but you don't want to cook the chicken all the way through as it will finish cooking in the sauce. If you cook it completely now, it will get overcooked in the sauce.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
- In a blender or food processor, add 40 grams raw cashew nuts along with 2 cups of water. Puree until smooth and milk-like in color.
- When the tomato mixture is done caramelizing turn off the heat and add the cashew nut milk, whisking it together.
- Pass the sauce through a wire strainer into a saucepan, pressing on the solids with a silicone spatula to get as much sauce through as you can.
- Cut the chicken into large chunks and add it to the pot with the sauce along with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves and 1 teaspoons garam masala. Simmer this for 6-8 minutes over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add ⅓ cup heavy cream and stir together and then turn the heat off. Plate the butter chicken and drizzle a little extra cream on top. Garnish with some cilantro leaves.
Nathan says
My go to Butter Chicken recipe. Been using it for years. Amazing.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Nathan, thank you so much for your kind comment! I'm so happy to hear you've been enjoying this, thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Jude says
I have made this a number of time and it is absolutely fantastic. The 40 minute cook time is really really far from realistic for me, but however long it takes me it is worth it.
When I read comments like using ready made tandoori chicken I feel the writer of the comment is missing out.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jude, sorry about, I just checked and the cook time was definitely off. I've updated it. Also it turns out it's easier to add the prep time to the recipe card than I thought so I've added the prep time and total time (which includes marination time) as well. Thank you for bringing this to my attention!
Nicholas Ipsen says
Hi Marc,
I have been enjoying this recipe for years, but recently began to wonder if butter chicken actually needs butter. Of course, I would never substitute it with something like granola oil, but wouldn't using ghee be easier(higher smoke point for the frying step) and taste pretty much the same, if not better?
I am having lactose-intolerajt guests over for dinner, and would really like to serve this. Using ghee instead of butter, and maybe treated cream, were two modifications I have been considering, but I would like to hear your opinion.
Also, thank you so much for all of these recipies. One can really tell how much effort you put into making each and every dish on this site shine!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Nicholas, I'm glad to hear you've been enjoying this! Butter is about 80% fat, 17% water, and the remainder is milk solids. When ghee is made, the water is evaporated and the milk solids are skimmed off to leave just the fat. This is why it has a high smoke point, because the milk solids are what smokes and burns. But it's also the milk solids that have most of the flavor. This is why browned butter is so tasty, you're basically inducing Maillard browning on the milk solids which is where it gets it's flavor from. Since this recipe adds liquids as soon as the butter browns, you create flavor and then stop the processing from going further and burning. You could certainly make it ghee (or really any other oil), but it will not have as much flavor as making it with butter.
Joseph Higgins says
This is the best recipe for butter chicken - hands down. The first time I tasted Murgh Makhani was in 2013. I was one of a group of people on an accounting course and one of the lads was from India. He made this and we ate it with some naan bread and it was so goos that I scoured the internet to find the recipe. THIS IS the recipe because I remembered the taste and was delighted to find it! This has become my favourite food to cook and my oldest daughter swears by it. though she tells me constantly to let up on the garlic & chilis a bit because I tend to like it a bit spicier! Thank you for sharing this recipe - it is an absolute pleasure to cook and enjoy this (at this time of typing, I have the chicken marinade in the fridge 30 mins and can't wait to be feasting on this sumptuous meal again!)
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Joseph! I'm happy to hear you and your family have been enjoying this. It's my goal to elevate traditional dishes from around the world here so I hope you're able to find other dishes to enjoy with your family here as well!
Michael P Shea says
Love your recipes. I'm making this tonight and just noticed the garam masala is added in BOTH step 2 and step 13. Are we supposed to use 1 tsp in each step or split the 1 tsp in half for each step?
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Michael! There's actually 2 additions of Garam Masala in this recipe. First for the marinade and then for the curry. I've added headings to to the ingredients to make it a little clearer.
Michael P Shea says
Thanks!
Han says
I tried this recipe last weekend using chicken breast, and it still turned out so tender and soft. My Indian friends said it taste better than the butter chicken at the restaurants. Thank you for an amazing recipe Marc. I’m excited to try out your other recipes.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Han, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this. Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Eva, you're welcome! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Eva Christine Kuløy says
Instant new favourite. Well worth the time it took to make it. Will definitely make again! Thank you for a great recipe.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Premal, I'm glad to hear you and your daughter were able to make this together and enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment and letting me know!
Premal Desai says
Great, recipe. My daughter and I made it together. I really like the way you strain the spices out and add the cashew milk. its really makes it smooth and creamy.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sally, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this!
Sally says
Made the butter chicken recipe for dinner tonight, wow it was delicious so worth making it from scratch, there was so much flavour in both the marinated chicken and the creamy tomato sauce. I'm happy to say that there was a bit left for lunch tomorrow! Thanks Marc I will definitely keep this in my recipe collection for the next time I want to make a beautiful dish ??
Sally says
Made this for dinner tonight wow so worth making it from scratch it was delicious such a depth of flavour from the marinated chicken and creamy tomato sauce, happy to say there's a bit left over for lunch tomorrow! Thanks Marc will keep this in my recipe book for future use
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Pratz, I'm sorry to hear you were having troubles submitting a comment, but I'm glad you enjoyed this! Can you send me an email (contact link above) with some more information about the problems you had with the comments (i.e. it wouldn't submit, it gave you an error, it submitted but disappeared, etc), along with the browser and OS you're using?
pratz love says
Wow this is the 3rd time I am writing the same comment :/ some how I am unable to post the comment. Great recipe ?? Tried it , tasted it & the family loved it. Did not add tomato paste coz it's hard to find in my city. Used ready made tandoori chicken to save some time. Straining the gravy is an awesome tip and it gives a smooth texture to the gravy same like the one you get in the restaurants.
pratz love says
Great recipe ?? Tried it , tasted it & the family loved it. Did not add tomato paste coz we don't get it in our city. Straining the recipe is a great tip coz of which the gravy turned out really smooth just like the one you get in d restaurants. I used ready made tandoori chicken to save some time.
pratz love says
Great recipe .
Heike Nikara Benkenstein says
Most yumiest!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Rabia, the chiles are for adding spiciness to the dish so you you can use any pepper you want to. I used small red fresh chilies but green or dried ones are fine as well.
Rabia fawad says
Hello. This recipe looks delish ! I have already marinated the chicken but stuck on what you mean by chilly peppers ? The fresh red ones or green ? Bcs we don't have fresh red ones in Pakistan. Is there a substitute.thx
Farah Issa says
thank you marc!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Farah, you want to broil the chicken for as long as it takes to get a slight char around the edges. It's impossible to specify exact timing since every broiler is different.
Farah Issa says
how long do i broil the chicken for? i dont have a grill
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Clair, "stewed tomatoes" is another way of saying canned tomatoes. The ones that are whole, cooked in their own juices.
Clair says
How do I find the recipe for stewed tomatoes ? Need it to make the butter chicken. Tia
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Havah, it can be any type of chili depending on how hot you like it. Personally I like things pretty spicy so I used Thai bird chilies.
Paul Blain says
I used 2 red and 2 green thumb sized chilis. Plus I added dehydrated Habanero and cayenne. I like it spicy.
Havah Abdallah El Hadj says
on the ingredient list you said "2 fresh chili peppers." Did you mean green chilis or red chilis? Should i just add depending on my preference for heat? Here we have big chilis and little chilis which pack much more punch... I'm assuming you meant the little ones, correct?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Phil, glad to hear you enjoyed it! If you own a cast iron skillet and an oven with a a broil setting you can make naan. Just get the skillet hot on the stove before adding the dough and then stick the whole thing under the broiler until the bubbles in the dough just start to char.
Phil Johnson says
Hi Marc, I cooked this tonight and can say, without doubt, that this is the best recipe for Butter Chicken that I've used so far. A couple of small "tweaks" that I used were to blend the chilies with the tomatoes/tomato puree and wrap the cardamoms and cinnamon stick in foil before giving them a few short taps with a meat hammer, to ensure they were broken open, meaning more flavour when cooked. I then served it with an egg pilau (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvgGqHVtW2s) and a garlic naan (bought in frozen - I don't own a tandoor) and the whole meal worked very well together.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Shamus, as Paul mentioned, if you fully caramelize the tomatoes it should form a very thick paste which will make a sauce that's like a thick gravy. If you want it even thicker, you can reduce the amount of water you puree the cashews in.
Paul Blain says
The secret is to reduce the tomatoes down to a thick paste. This also improves the taste. Then add plenty of cashews to the cashew nut milk you make. This once strained is thick and shiny. Adding the cream enhances the silkiness.
Shamus Guy says
What would you suggest to thicken the butter sauce? Reduce water in cashew nut mix?, or not add juice from stewed tomatoes? I found this sauce to be very runny tomatoes didn't really reduce to a paste... Over all pretty nice
Shamus Guy says
What would you suggest to ensure a thicker sauce? Tried flour this fixed it pretty quick. Would you suggest reducing the amount of water with cashew nut blend or not including juice from stewed tomatoes ??
Paul Blain says
Love this recipe. I up the anti on the spices
Jaime Cornell says
I was so excited to find a recipe without onion in it. I've developed an allergy to onion in the past few years. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Jaime Cornell says
It was truly amazing. I was so excited to find a recipe without onion.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jaime, I'm glad to hear you liked it so much!
Jaime Cornell says
This is the best recipe that I have ever tasted! ! !
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Saman, it's one of my favorites, so I've spent a fair amount of time perfecting it:-)
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Vhinzkim!
Saman Effendi says
Thank you so much for the very authentic recipe. It turned out perfect! Tried it from other chefs but was disappointed. Loved yours!! Saman
Vhinzkim Payang says
verry delicious this butter chicken i love it coz its spicy
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you've been enjoying it Raj!
Raj Debnath says
Thanks Chef Marc for this wonderful recipe, I tried this recipe many times with a few changes every time i make......and every time I get a different aroma and taste. I have already made this recipe atleast 5-7 times. It's one of my best signature dish. I make it in special occasions such as new year feast, birthdays and small gatherings. My friends appreciated by saying I have improved this dish to a restaurant style. .....It takes a lot of time and patience but it's worth it!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Rose, assuming you serve this with other stuff like rice and veggies, each batch should make enough for 3-4 so tripling should be perfect. I can't think of any changes that you'll need to make other than using a bigger pot. Step 7 may take a bit longer to do.
Rose says
Hi Mark, I want to serve 8 - 10 people. Will tripling in this recipe be enough? Are there any changes I need to make?
Leila says
Used breast meat, didn't have fenugreek leaves or black cardomom, followed everything else as stated; came out delicious! Will definitely be making it again, thanks for sharing!
Marc Matsumoto says
It depends on how hungry your diners are and whether you are making other dishes to go with this, but it should comfortably feed 2 people.
Dave says
How many servings is this recipe?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Aeliya, 1) you could, but I would not recommend it as breast meat tends to dry out easily due to its lower fat content. 2) Yes you could, but it will take much longer to make the sauce since fresh tomatoes have more water that needs to be evaporated. I've never done this with fresh tomatoes so you'll need to experiment to figure out how much fresh tomato you'll need (it will be more than the amount of stewed tomatoes) 3) Yes you could just fry it, but it won't have the same flavor.
Aeliya Khan says
Hi marc 3 questions
1) could I use chicken breast vs thighs?
2) instead of stewed tomato can I use fresh ones and If so how many?
3) instead of grilling the chicken could I just fry it in a pan on the side and add
Katie says
Hi Marc,
I am planning on making this tomorrow night, however I need this recipe to serve 4. My plan is just to literally double/almost double the ingredients to do this but I wonder whether for example, 8 cloves, 12 green cardamon pods, 10 cloves of garlic etc would be a bit excessive?
Could you please advise. Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Additional cashew nut puree will work at the end instead of cream.
Marc Matsumoto says
It depends on how hungry the people are and if you're serving sides, but this should comfortably feed 2 people plus leftovers.
Person_X says
How many people does it serve?
Melanie West says
Thank you for the prompt response! I ended up leaving out the saffron, black cardamom and fenugreek leaves and this recipe was still UHMAYZING! I am not one to leave a review after making a recipe but you deserve it. This recipe is 5 star! Do you think that next time I could add more cashew milk and then not have to add cream?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Melanie, this recipe uses both fenugreek seeds and leaves (though the leaves are optional). You can get the leaves at any Indian grocery store, or you can order it online through sites like Amazon.
Melanie West says
I want to make this tomorrow, it looks fabulous!!! Can you be specific on whether you use Fenugreek Leaves or Fenugreek seeds? I am having a difficult time tracking down Leaves.
Melinda Selmys says
Just made this. I didn't have cashews so I substituted a combination of almonds and dried papaya. It's still the best butter chicken recipe I've ever found.
Marc Matsumoto says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it IzF! It will end up a little lighter without the final addition of cream (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially in summer:-).
Isabel says
Soooo good. I forgot to add the cream at the end but it still came out AMAZING!! Thanks again, Marc!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi John, I recommend the recipe as is. If I thought it would be better another way I would have published it that way. The yogurt has plenty of acidity, if you add lemon juice, it think it would make it too sour. That being said, everyone's palette is different and if you like your chicken very sour, you should make it how you think you'll like it.
john says
hi. some recipes call for marination with lemon. What do you recommend?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sara, there's no need to scrape the marinade off the chicken, but you can toss whatever's left in the bag.
Sara says
Hi, im not sure if you put the yogurt marinade in as well or not?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hahaha, I figured:-) Glad to hear you enjoyed this so much and that's an impressive variety of protein!
Kelly Hills says
oh must mention as separate dishes and not all together!! oops!! see so excited i have found a recipe i love that i didnt explain myself too well!!
Kelly Hills says
Hi there 🙂 Made this recipe a few weeks ago and tried it with fish and lamb rabbit and kangaroo as well and crocodile!! so good!!! 😀
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sandra, I don't have a brand as I usually pick my garam masala up at a small Indian bodega that repackages their spices under their own label. I know what you mean though about garam masalas all being different. I tend to gravitate towards garam masalas that taste like a more pungent western curry powder. They tend to be lighter in color (less cloves more turmeric), and I think the blend is cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, fenugreek, cloves, cardamom...
Sandra says
Hi Marc,
Could you recommend a brand of garam masala (or recipe) that you like to use for this dish. I've found that garam masala varies greatly in the world of indian cooking and I haven't found a brand that I like yet.
carol steinberg says
what can I use instead of the cream? My husband had dietary restrictions.
FoodRecipesEasy says
It's really a good idea to use saffron threads. I'll try it soon.
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep, I don't see why not:-)
Herr Yamamoto says
Thanks for your help Mark 🙂 Another qustion: COULD this sauce work with lamb? Just the sauce, not the rest process.
James Strowger says
Oops, figured it out by reading... Salt to taste, chili goes in with no prep
James Strowger says
Hey, trying this now... There's no prep directions for the chili peppers. Do they get de-viened and chopped or something ? Also, how much salt in the sauce?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Herr Yamamoto, black cardamom and green cardamom have a very different flavor profile, so increasing the quantity of one will not eliminate the need for the other. If you can't find black cardamom, just leave it out.
Herr Yamamoto says
Can i use a higher amount of green cardamom instead of the black one?
Tim says
Wonderful recipe. I stuck an habanero in there for extra effect! Thank you.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Moreniké, you can certainly stew them yourself, but the canned ones will work just fine. As for the garlic and ginger, you need to puree it. While a food processor is fastest, you can also use a grate to do it by hand.
Kamal says
Can you alternatively roast the tomatoes on a low heat and add to the pan? I assume this would also bring out the natural sweetness but be less labour intensive? Also interesting that you don't use any onion at all in this recipe.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Kamal, by roast do you mean in the oven? I've never tried tried it but it might work (though you may still need to stir it periodically and you'd probably need to keep the oven under boiling temperature to keep the tomatoes from sputtering and making mess in the oven). Let use know how it goes if you give it a try. As for onions, I haven't really seen onions being added to butter chicken, but you could certainly add them if you like.
Moreniké Bamidelé says
Hi. When you say 600 grams whole stewed tomatoes do you mean fresh tomatoes that I stew myself or the ones you buy in a can? I don't know how to stew tomatoes. Can you please respend? I want to make this for my Indian friend for her birthday; additionally, for the ginger garlic thing, if I don't have a food processor can I use a blender? Grating it with a grater?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Manish, it's hard to say exactly how many grams you'll get, but this should feed 3-4 people. Assuming you're serving it with other things.
Manish says
Hi Marc
Can you tell me how many servings you get from the above measurement ie.450gms of chicken
Kevin says
Rukaiya please don't cook. Just eat in restaurant. You don't have basic commonsence. You will make the chef Mark name bad.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Rukaiya, chicken should be refrigerated, but i would not recommend freezing it with the marinade. If you're trying to preserve the chicken for a long time, just make the recipe to the end and then freeze everything.
Rukaiya says
Hi i am asking that should we put the chicken (after sealing in the freezer bag) in the freezer or leave it outside?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Rukaiya, I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but if you're asking if you can put the marinade in the freezer, I would not recommend it as yogurt has a tendency to curdle when frozen. As for curd, I'm not really sure what curd you're referring to, but if you're talking about cheese curd (set with rennet) I would not recommend it. Cheese curd is very hard and will not turn into a marinade.
Rukaiya says
Hi.. I want to know that should we put inside the freezer to marinate & can i substitute curd instead of yogurt.???
Anu says
This is the best ever butter chicken I have eaten and as I am Indian I have eaten some :).So easy to make except for the cooking down of tomatoes which takes a bit of time, but totally worth it. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. Thank you so much, Marc, this is a keeper.
Marc Matsumoto says
It should be enough for 2-3 people if this is all you're serving.
Rukaiya says
How many servings will be there for the above ingredients
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Will, sorry for the late response. Chili peppers are the 6th ingredient from the bottom between the fenugreek and cashews.
Will says
Hi there. I'm going to try this butter chicken recipe tonight. Just a question though, in the ingredients you don't mention chilli peppers but in the directions you say to add the chilli peppers. Are they required? And if so how much?
Thanks
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Steve, hahaha, it happens to the best of us:-) As for what to do now, it depends on how much you like garlic and ginger, but if it were me, I'd probably make some more ginger/garlic paste to add the sauce.
Steve says
Hey! I found this recipe and thought I just have to try it. I was just marinating my chicken with the radio on, and got lost in thought as The Clash started playing. Now it just so happens that I used all of the ginger-garlic paste in the marinade without noticing. Should I make more for the sauce, or will that be overpowering? Alternatively, I could make the sauce in the same pan in which I am planning to fry the chicken (I don't have a grill), and still get the flavor from the marinade. Please help!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi mart, mine came dried and crushed so I use it like I would any other dried herb, but if that's not the form yours came in I'd say use your best judgement. As for the butter, I use whole butter (not ghee) because I want the milk solids in it.
mart says
hello, trying this tonight. do I have to soak or wash my methi/fenugreek leaves? also are you using normal butter or is it ghee?
hope to hear from you soon. looking forward to trying this, thanks.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ebony, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Happy Holidays!
Ebony says
i made this tonight and it was soooo good! Thanks for posting and sharing your recipe with us!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi AM, you could cut them up before marinating but I like to leave them whole because it makes it easier to grill them that way. If you're not going to grill you could fry them in a frying pan, or put them on a baking sheet and put them under your broiler to get a little char.
AM says
Can I cut the chicken before marinating it and also if I don't have a grill, what's an alternative you would recommend?
Greg says
This is the version I've been looking so long for, thank you!
Mazda says
Marc, you are the man! Best Butter Chicken recipe I have ever had the pleasure of cooking; and believe me, I've tried dozens. A lot of authentic flavours come out of this dish. You really hit the nail on the head with this one. Thanks again.
Cheers.
Michael Dean says
Made this tonight. We have an Indian market close to our house and I've always wanted to try to make a well-liked and familiar Indian dish from scratch. I forgot to grab saffron, but subbing in turmeric did the trick. I went ahead and did the stewed tomatoes from scratch because I figured...why not?
Anyway, it was a major hit. Thanks for the recipe!
Mazda says
Awesome. Thanks for the recipe. Will try it out next week and post my thoughts.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mazda, it's sweet from the tomatoes, but it's also spicy. It's pretty similar in taste to chicken tikka masala, but more rich and flavorful.
Mazda says
Is this a sweeter recipe or more of a spicy stew like that of a chicken tikka masala?
Tete97 says
Okay Thank you, I will try it!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Tete, you may want to substitute it for coconut cream (it's the thick white stuff that floats to the top of a can of coconut milk if you don't shake it).
Tete97 says
can I replace heavy cream with coconut milk ?
David Torrey Peters says
This is the best butter chicken I have ever had. Also, I made it twice now with home-made paneer and sweet-potato and peas for a vegetarian friend and it was equally good. Sometimes I use Almond milk instead of making cashew milk, because I can just buy it. But either way, so great. I also used the method of caramelizing tomatoes that you explained for a Rogan Josh with yogurt and that turned out to be the best Rogan Josh I ever ate! Basically, you are the best chef and recipe writer I have found in the whole wide internet.
flooky says
This butter chicken is sooooooooo amazing. It tastes like the best of indian restaurants. I didn't use saffron, but tumeric, and it was still so amazing.
Theresa Klein says
Wow, best butter chicken recipe I have found!
Love the use of saffron in place of tumeric.
sandrambaxter says
I made this last night. It was absolutely delish!
armedjester says
As always with your recipes, I made this. It's everything as perfect as you make it sound. It took me about 3 hours to do it (there's no such thing as boneless, skinned chicken thighs in Europe, so I had to do them from scratch) and by the time the sauce wouldn't caramelize to the consistency you wrote, I had some choice words to say about your perception of effort vs. pleasure ...
... but then I tasted it. This is creamy, spicy love going right down your throat. This is the best butter chicken I ever tasted. Ever.
Thank you.
Gaule says
I enjoy your recipes and photography very much, and look forward to making this recipe. Perhaps my scale is broken... I blended the garlic and ginger together and have a very full 1/2 cup measure. Is that correct? It seems a lot to use in one recipe but I admit I haven't made anything like this before.
Gaule says
I enjoy your recipes and photography very much, and look forward to making this recipe. Perhaps my scale is broken... I blended the garlic and ginger together and have a very full 1/2 cup measure. Is that correct? It seems a lot to use in one recipe but I admit I haven't made anything like this before.
Natika says
Sounds amazing! And I'm a sucker for any article that mentions Canadian things once, let alone twice. LOL.
sharon says
I am so excited to try this recipe.....love butter chicken and yours look amazing. Thanks !
Jonny says
I browse many food blogs looking for new recipes and new ideas. I'm really excited to try this recipe, which is not something I say very often! As I'm sure you know, after reading 10,000 recipes and cooking them, it's not hard to tell when one stands out for the right reasons. Thanks for posting!
Angela Roberts says
I've been seeing butter chicken everywhere lately. I love this recipe version. I recently had it at an Indian restaurant, where they used their tandori chicken in the recipe which was quite good, but you have so many amazing flavors here, I have a feeling yours is better.