Indian Chicken Butter Masala-Murgh Makhani

Step 1

Apply red chili powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and set aside for 20 minutes. This is the first marinade.

Step 2

Combine all ingredients of the second marinade (see ingredient list). Apply this marinade to the chicken and refrigerate for three to four hours; overnight is best.

Step 3

Put the chicken on skewers and cook on a grill turning once. Cook until done. Do not overcook. Baste it with butter/ghee/oil or marinade if you want, a couple of times while cooking. Set aside once done.

Step 4

Cooking the Sauce:

Step 5

Note: This recipe makes more than you need for this recipe which is two cups of the sauce, it freezes well until you are ready to make this recipe again.

Step 6

Heat butter/ghee or oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Sauté for a couple of minutes or till they start to sizzle and get fragrant; add the methi/fenugrek seeds. When the methi seeds sizzle, add ginger paste and garlic paste, and the slit green chillies. Cook in medium heat for five to eight minutes; the water from the paste would have evaporated and the ginger garlic paste reduced in quantity.

Step 7

Add tomato puree or paste, red chili powder, and salt. Cook (may partially cover during cooking) at medium heat for about 15 – 20 minutes. The puree will reduce to a thick paste and the oil/ghee will separate from the sides of the pan.

Step 8

After the tomatoes are cooked down, you might want to blend the cooked sauce (along with all the spices) into a smooth puree, if you want a restaurant like smooth texture for the sauce – especially if you are using fresh tomatoes. return it back to the pan after blending and continue with the rest of the process.

Step 9

Add 2 ½ cups of hot water to the pan (or if you want it less soupy and want the sauce to coat the chicken pieces and have a little bit extra, add less water or simmer for longer time to achieve the consistency as per your taste), add the almond paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes; add sugar and crushed kasuri methi.

Step 10

Add cooked grilled chicken pieces. Stir well to combine – the chicken will be well coated with the sauce. Cover and simmer for eight to ten minutes; Lower the heat and add garam masala and the heavy cream. Stir in the cream and simmer at low heat for about five more minutes.

Step 11

Garnish with fresh cilantro and add a splash of cream before serving.

Step 12

Enjoy with some hot garlic naan!