Indian Butter Chicken I

Butter chicken or murgh makhani is an Indian dish popular in countries all over the world where Indian restaurants are found. The dish was invented by accident at Moti Mahal Restaurant in Daryaganj, New Delhi. While the dish's general recipe is well known, the actual flavor can vary from restaurant to restaurant even within Delhi.
Ingredients
- 400–500 g of skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts (with the bone, this will probably be 800 g)
- 50 g tandoori masala powder
- ½ cup of unsweetened yoghurt
- 1 small lemon or lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 large onion, sliced finely
- ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
- 2–3 cloves of crushed garlic
- 2 teaspoons of grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon of ground coriander
- 2–3 teaspoons of chile powder
- 100–200 g tomato paste
- 100 g full cream
Steps
- Trim chicken. Cut into small cubes, or for bone-in, cut long thin lateral slices.
- Combine tandoori powder, yogurt, lemon juice and chicken in a big bowl. Massage to coat evenly. Cover. Set aside at least ½ hour.
- Heat a large saucepan or frying pan until evenly hot.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter until frothy. Add onions and cinnamon. Fry lightly.
- When onions are soft and starting to brown, stir in crushed garlic and ginger. Add turmeric, chili and coriander. Sauté over medium heat.
- Add chicken. Sauté, stirring constantly, until it turns white. Do not overcook.
- Mix in tomato paste. Add cream. Heat through.
- Add additional tandoori masala, 3–5 tablespoons, if desired.
- Cover. Simmer just over 10 minutes.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Indian Butter Chicken I” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-06-16, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Butter Chicken with Naan.JPG by Hubie, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.






