Butter Chicken Recipe (aka Murgh Makhani)

Step 1

Add the chopped chicken to a medium bowl. Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper yogurt and lemon juice.

Step 2

Stir to cover the chicken. Cover and set in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can marinate overnight for greater flavor penetration.

Step 3

Heat a large pan to medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the chicken is browned. Remove the chicken and set it aside.

Step 4

Melt the butter in the same pan. Add the onion and peppers and cook them 5 minutes to soften.

Step 5

Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute, until they become fragrant.

Step 6

Add the garam masala, cumin, red chili powder, salt and pepper, and red chili flakes (if using). Stir and cook for 1 minute.

Step 7

Stir in the diced tomatoes. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes to break everything down.

Step 8

Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. You can thin it out with a bit of water if you’d like.

Step 9

Strain the sauce back into the pan. The point is to make the sauce very smooth and heat through.

Step 10

Stir in the cream and add the chicken back to the pan. Heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens up a bit.

Step 11

Serve with cooked white rice. Garnish with fresh chopped herbs (parsley or cilantro), and spicy red chili flakes, if desired. Swirl on a bit of extra cream.