BUTTER CHICKEN CURRY (MURGH MAKHANI)

BUTTER CHICKEN CURRY

(MURGH MAKHANI)

Serves 4

Time: 30 to 35 minutes

Marination

6 to 8 chicken thigh meat or 4 breasts cut in bite size
2 tbs lemon juice

salt & pepper

1 tsp each of ginger & garlic paste

Dry spices

1 cinnamon stick
2 to 3 cloves
3 to 4 green cardamom
1 big black cardamom
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander seeds

Ingredients for the gravy

1 big onion chopped finely
4 medium skinned tomatoes chopped
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp kasoori methi
1 to 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
Green chillies
4 tbs light /dark cream
5 to 6 cashew nuts soaked
4 tbs BUTTER
1/2tsp sugar
1 tbs oil

Method

First, marinate the chicken with lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste and salt and pepper. Keep it aside for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil. Brown the chicken. Remove and keep aside.

In the same pan add the dry spices and fry till they start to pop.

Add onions and garlic ginger paste. Cook for few minutes till onions turn pink.

Now add the rest of the ingredients except the cream, butter and sugar. Simmer it for 10 to 12 minutes.  In case it sticks to the bottom of the pan, splash a bit of water. Remove it from the heat and using a hand blender or a food processor and puree it.

Heat 2 tbs of butter in the same pan and pour the tomato-onion mixture in. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the browned chicken, sugar and the cream. Cook through.

Just before serving stir in the other 2tbs of butter.

TIP: Sugar is not added for the taste but to give the gravy a glossy and restaurant kind of look.