Murg Makhani (Butter Chicken)
by Romy Gill
👋 Please allow for marianding time if you can. There are so many different recipes for butter chicken. This is my take, because there is a lot of spark and dispute going on in India about butter chicken. We served so much butter chicken in our restaurant, so I went in search of the very best butter chicken recipe and researched how it all started. I found this gave me a better understanding of this best-loved dish. With its silky smooth, gently spiced tomato, cashew and cream gravy, it’s a comforting, warming dish that feels decadent. It was in 2013 when I started to take a closer look at butter chicken and its history. My mentor, chef Manjit Gill, took me to the first ever Moti Mahal restaurant in Daryagang in Delhi. A restaurant co-founded by Kundan Lal Jaggi, Kundal Lal Gujral and Maggu (also known as Thakur Das) and it was where they created both butter chicken and dal makhani.
Method
Based on 4 servings, adjust as needed.
Step 1
👋 Please allow for marianding time if you can. To make the marinade, mix 10g grated ginger, 3 grated garlic gloves, 2 tsp tandoori masala, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp black pepper and a large pinch of ** salt**, the 2 tbsp yoghurt, juice of half a lemon and 2 tbsp sunflower oil together in a large bowl (weights are to serve 4). Prick the diced chicken pieces with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate the meat. Add the chicken to the bowl and stir well to coat thoroughly. Cover the bowl and set aside in the fridge to marinate for at least a couple of hours.
Step 2
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C fan/400°F/gas 6. Spread the marinated chicken out on a baking tray and cook in the hot oven for 15 minutes.
Step 3
While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. If the chicken finishes cooking before you have finished making the sauce, switch the oven off after the 15 minutes and leave the meat to rest in the oven. Grind the cashew nuts in a pestle and motor or in a mini food processor.
Step 4
Heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the remaining 20g grated ginger and 6 grated garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add the pulped tinned tomatoes (or the fresh if using fresh) as well as the tomato purée and cook for 8–10 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through, stirring regularly to avoid them sticking and burning. Add the remaining 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp masala tandoori, 1 tsp chilli powder a pinch of salt and 1 tsp sugar, mix well and cook for a further 2 minutes until emulsified.
Step 5
Lower the heat, then add the ground cashew nuts and cream, and stir well. Add 500–600 ml water (if cooking for 4) – the quantity you choose to add depends on how runny you want the sauce to be. Bring the mixture to a boil, and when it starts bubbling, add the chicken, lower the heat and cook for a further 8–10 minutes. Sprinkle over the cardamom seeds and dried fenugreek leaves. Stir and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving with rice or any Indian flatbreads.
- Ingredients
- Based on 4 servings
-
30g Ginger Root, peeled and grated (shredded) or ginger paste 1x Sainsbury's Ginger 100g -
0.5 Lemon juice 1x Sainsbury's Lemons -
9 large Garlic Cloves, peeled and grated (shredded) 1x Sainsbury's Garlic -
50g Butter 1x Sainsbury's British Butter, Unsalted 250g -
3 tsp Tandoori Masala 1x East End Tandoori Masala 100g -
2 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi) 1x Fudco Kasuri Methi 50g -
2 tbsp Double Cream 1x Sainsbury's British Double Cream 150ml -
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper 1x Sainsbury's Ground Black Pepper 48g -
2 tsp Ground Cumin 1x Sainsbury's Ground Cumin 43g -
Maldon Salt to taste, 1x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g -
1 tsp Tomato Purée 1x Sainsbury's Tomato Puree, Double Concentrate 200g -
2 tsp Ground Coriander 1x Sainsbury's Ground Coriander 36g -
1 tsp Sugar 1x Sainsbury's White Caster Sugar 500g -
2 tbsp Yoghurt 1x Sainsbury's Greek Style Natural Yogurt 200g -
750g Skinless, Boneless Chicken, cut into bite-size pieces 1x Sainsbury's British Fresh Chicken Breast Fillets Skinless & Boneless 1kg -
8 pods Green Cardamom Seeds, crushed 1x Fudco Bold Green Cardamom 50g -
30 ml Sunflower Oil, fl oz/2 tbsp 1x JS Sunflower Oil 1L -
1 tsp Chilli Powder 1x Sainsbury's Mild Chilli Powder 44g -
2 pouches Cooked Basmati Rice 2x Ben's Original Classic Basmati Microwave Rice 220g -
30g Cashew Nuts, ground. Or use ground almonds 1x Sainsbury's Cashews 30g -
400g Pulped Tomatoes, or use fresh tomatoes, blanched and pulped 1x Stamford Street Co. Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice 400g