🍛 Butter chicken (murgh makhani)

Name: Butter chicken (murgh makhani)
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: India · Delhi
Ingredients: 700 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces; 2 tsp garam masala, divided; 4 garlic cloves and 3 cm ginger, grated; 1 tsp chilli powder, salt; 40 g butter; 500 g tomatoes, blended (or passata); 100 ml single cream; 1 tsp sugar; Fresh coriander to serve

Origin: India · Delhi

700kcal

per serving · 350 g

200kcal

per 100 g

46 gProtein13 g / 100 g

46 gFat13 g / 100 g

18 gCarbs5 g / 100 g

Butter chicken, or murgh makhani, is a North Indian curry of tender chicken simmered in a smooth, mildly spiced tomato sauce enriched with butter and cream. Garam masala, garlic and ginger give it warmth without much heat, and the sauce is velvety, slightly sweet and tangy. It is served with rice or flatbread to scoop up the sauce.

Diets

✓

No porkfor halal, the meat must be halal-slaughtered

✓

Gluten-freeno wheat, barley or rye in a typical recipe

✓

Keto-friendly5 g carbs per 100 g

✓

High protein13 g protein per 100 g — 26% of the calories

Not vegetarianbecause of: chicken

Not veganbecause of: chicken, butter, cream

Contains dairybecause of: butter, cream

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Milk

What it is made of

chickenbuttercreamtomatogaram masalagarlicginger

Recipe

4 servings50 min

Ingredients

700 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
2 tsp garam masala, divided
4 garlic cloves and 3 cm ginger, grated
1 tsp chilli powder, salt
40 g butter
500 g tomatoes, blended (or passata)
100 ml single cream
1 tsp sugar
Fresh coriander to serve

Method

Toss the chicken with half the garam masala, half the garlic and ginger, chilli powder and salt; leave for 20 minutes.
Sear the chicken in half the butter over high heat until browned, then set aside.
Melt the remaining butter, fry the rest of the garlic and ginger for 1 minute, add the tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 15 minutes until thick.
Return the chicken, add the remaining garam masala and simmer for 10 minutes until cooked through.
Stir in the cream, warm through without boiling and finish with coriander.

How to make it lighter

Use chicken breast and halve the butter and cream — 1 tbsp butter ≈ 100 kcal.
Serve with a measured portion of rice (about 150 g cooked) and a side of steamed vegetables.
Thicken the sauce by simmering longer rather than adding extra cream.

History

Butter chicken is usually credited to the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in the mid-20th century, where cooks are said to have simmered leftover tandoori chicken in a buttery tomato gravy. It has since become one of the best-known Indian dishes around the world.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →