Butter Chicken

Butter chicken or Murg makhani is a very tasty dish from the Punjab region which has over the years become so popular that you can find it in every eating joints around the country. The richness of the cream and the cashews and the redness of the tomatoes gives it a very beautiful colour and taste.
Today I am posting a butter chicken recipe which is even made easier by frying all the ingredients together and grinding it to a paste.

Ingredients -
For the Marinade -
Curd fresh - 1/2 cup (must not be sour)
Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt  - 1/2 tsp
Butter melted - 2 tbsp
Tandoori colour - a pinch (optional)


For the Gravy -
Chicken - 1 kg
Onion chopped - 4
Garlic peeled - 1 whole (medium size)
Ginger - 2 tsp (minced)
Tomatoes cut - 250g
Curd beaten - 2 tbsp (it should not be sour)
Cream - 4 tbsp
Black pepper whole - 2 tsp
Cloves - 5
Black cardamom - 1 small
Green cardamom - 2
Bay leaves - 2 small
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Red chilli powder - 1tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Poppy seed - 2 tsp
Cashews - 7-8
Fenugreek leaves dried (kasuri methi) - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1/2 cup
Butter - 4 tbsp

Method -

Prick the chicken with a fork and marinate it mixing all the ingredients ( except the butter) for marinade. Marinate for about 4 hours.
 Coat it with the butter evenly and bake in a hot oven till golden and almost done.
  Heat 3 tablespoon of oil and put the black pepper, cloves , black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf and saute it for a minute, add the onions, ginger, garlic and fry it until its light brown and tender. Now add the cut tomatoes and fry for a while until the tomatoes are tender. Remove it and let it cool. Grind it to a smooth paste. Soak the poppy seeds for 1/2 hour in water and grind it with the cashews to a paste.
Now heat the remaining oil and butter together and put the ground onion and tomato paste in it and stir fry it for 5 minutes, add the coriander, red chilli powder, and keep frying until its golden brown in colour, add the poppy paste stirring continuously, add the curd, salt and garam masala and cook till oil separates. Add enough boiled water to make a smooth paste, bring it to a boil, add the chicken, cream, sugar and crushed fenugreek leaves, cover and cook on a slow flame until the chicken is fully cooked. Garnish it with cream and butter and serve it hot with naan or tandoori roti.