Probably the best known of all Indian dishes, butter chicken, also known as murgh makhani, is a staple dish at most Indian restaurants. The dish originated in Delhi during the 1950s, when a man named Kundan Lal Gujral opened his restaurant called Moti Mahal.

The restaurant’s cooks combined leftover marinade juices with tomatoes and butter, and then stewed the tandoor-cooked chicken in it, without even knowing that they have accidentally stumbled upon one of the most loved dishes ever and a future international delicacy.

Moti Mahal became one of Delhi’s attractions, and soon after, butter chicken spread throughout the world. With a combination of roasted meat, plenty of spices, a rich gravy made with cream, tomatoes, and butter, this dish is best accompanied by naan bread and garnished with even more butter, coriander, or green chilis.

Ingredients

• Chicken curry cut 1kg
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons Oil
• 1 Green Chili
• 4 Kashmiri Red Chilies
• 1 tablespoon Ginger Paste
• 2 tablespoon Garlic Paste
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks ½ inch
• 5 – 6 Cloves
• 2 green Cardamoms
• ½ black cardamom
• 1 teaspoon Peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons Cashewnuts chopped
• 1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds Khus Khus
• 14 Tomatoes large (1kg coarsely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon Garam Masala Powder
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Kasturi Methi Dry
• 2 tablespoons Fresh Cream
• Salt to taste

Method

1. In a large pan or kadhai, heat a tablespoon of butter and two tablespoons oil.
2. Add green chili, red chillies, ginger, garlic paste and whole spices. Sauté for a minute or two and add cashew nuts, poppy seeds and tomatoes. Mix well. Cover and cook this for ten to fifteen minutes till the tomatoes start breaking down. Switch off the flame and set aside to cool.
3. Once cool enough to handle, fish out as many whole spices as possible, and grind the mixture to a smooth paste.
4. In the same pan or kadhai, heat the remaining butter and add the ground paste from step #3. Add garam masala powder, chili powder, turmeric, salt and sugar along with 1/2 cup water. Bring this to a boil.
5. Once the curry comes to a boil, add washed chicken in it, simmer and cook for 30 minutes, till the oil separates slightly. In another pan, dry roast the Kasturi methi and grind it to a fine powder. Mix Kasturi methi and fresh cream in the curry and switch off the flame.
6. Garnish with cream and coriander leaves.