Butter Chicken

Tender yoghurt-marinated chicken in a silky tomato, butter and cream sauce, explained for a first-time cook.

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Butter chicken, or murgh makhani, is a Delhi-style restaurant classic. This version builds flavour in two stages: browning the marinated chicken first, then finishing it gently in the sauce.

Ingredients

• 700 g Boneless chicken thighs (cut into 4 cm pieces)
• 120 g Plain full-fat yoghurt (for the marinade)
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice (for the marinade)
• 2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste (divided)
• 1.5 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (divided; use less for mild)
• 1.5 tsp Garam masala (divided)
• 1.25 tsp Fine salt (divided)
• 1 tbsp Neutral oil (for browning)
• 45 g Unsalted butter (divided)
• 1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Ground coriander
• 400 g Tomato passata (or smooth tomato purée)
• 120 ml Water (plus more if needed)
• 1 tsp Dried fenugreek leaves (crushed between your palms)
• 100 ml Double cream
• 0.5 tsp Sugar (optional, only if the tomatoes taste sharp)
• 2 tbsp Fresh coriander (chopped, to finish)

Step-by-step method

1. Mix the yoghurt, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add the chicken and turn every piece until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; 4 hours gives a deeper flavour.
2. Take the chicken from the refrigerator while you prepare the pan. Heat a wide heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, add the oil, then lay in the chicken in one uncrowded layer. Work in two batches if necessary so the chicken browns instead of steaming.
3. Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until browned. It does not need to be cooked through yet. Move it to a clean plate; do not reuse the plate or utensils that touched the raw chicken.
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Melt 30 g butter in the same pan, add the onion and a small pinch of salt, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Stir regularly until the onion is soft and pale golden, scraping up the browned flavour from the pan.
5. Add the remaining ginger-garlic paste, cumin, coriander and remaining chilli powder. Stir continuously for 45 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant; if the spices begin to stick, add 1 tablespoon water.
6. Pour in the tomato passata and 120 ml water. Bring to a gentle bubble, partly cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Stir every few minutes until the sauce darkens slightly and no longer smells raw or sharply acidic.
7. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan. Cover and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once, until the thickest piece reaches 75°C and is no longer pink inside. Add a splash of hot water if the sauce becomes too thick.
8. Lower the heat. Stir in the cream, crushed fenugreek, remaining garam masala and remaining butter. Taste before adding the remaining salt or optional sugar. Warm for 2 minutes without boiling hard, then finish with coriander and rest for 5 minutes before serving.