Murgh Makhni or butter chicken

Murgh Makhni or butter chicken

Buttery gravy, cream, velvety tomato puree, tender chicken… murgh makhni screams comfort

Last updated:
Cuisine:Indian
Cook time:40m
Prep time:6h:45m
Servings:4

Ingredients

For chicken tikka

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (600g) cut into 2 Inch cubes

 

For the first marinade

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt, to taste

 

For the second marinade

100g Greek yogurt

1 tbsp ginger paste         

1 tbsp garlic paste          

1 tsp green chilly chop (optional)

1 tbsp lemon juice          

½ tsp red chili powder  

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 teaspoon garam masala            

Salt, to taste

 

For the makhni sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil

150g tomato puree

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tsp turmeric

¾ tbsp red chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

4 green cardamom, whole

1 blade bay leaf

1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, roasted and powdered

2 tbsp granulated sugar

Salt, to taste

4 tbsp single cream

2 tbsp unsalted butter

Method

Chicken tikka

1. Put the chicken in a bowl with all the ingredients for the first marinade, rub together and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Whisk all the ingredients for the second marinade in a bowl and rub it on to the chicken. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 6 hours.

3. Thread the chicken cubes on to skewers and cook on a charcoal grill (alternatively, place on a wire rack and cook in a pre-heated fan-assisted oven at 180C for 9-10 minutes). Remove from heat and leave the chicken to rest for a couple of minutes.

Makhni sauce

1. Mix the vegetable oil, tomato puree, ginger and garlic pastes and all the ground and whole spices except the dried fenugreek in a deep pan.

2. Cook over a medium heat until the mixture bubbles, then add about 2 ½ times its volume of water and bring to a boil.

3. Cover with a lid, boil for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the sugar and salt, then pour in the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 4 minutes. (It’s optional to remove the whole spices at this stage)

4. Stir in the cooked chicken tikka and dried fenugreek leaf powder; simmer on medium heat till done and finish with single cream and butter. Serve hot in a bowl, garnished with swirls of cream.

Image courtesy: Indego by Vineet, Grosvenor House Dubai

Chef Irshad Qureshi
Chef Irshad Qureshi
Chef Irshad Qureshi
Chef de Cuisine at Indego by Vineet, Grosvenor House Dubai

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