Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) is a well-known Indian dish originating from the Punjab region. Chicken thighs (I used boneless) are marinated in a yogurt spice mixture overnight. They are basted in ghee or butter and grilled (traditionally in a tandoor), until just cooked, then finish by simmering in a spiced tomato cream sauce. It is served with naan, roti, paratha, or rice.
To be honest, Indian food has always intimidated me. The ingredient list can become a bit long, with many unfamiliar spices. Murgh Makhani has been on my list of things to try for a while now, but I was nervous about the time required and ingredients. This is definitely not a weeknight meal. It takes a bit of time to prepare. The chicken needs to be marinated overnight, then grilled before coating in the simmering sauce. The overall cook time is about an hour, but none of the steps are difficult. I am so happy I tried it. The long cooking time brings together an amazing flavor combination.
I strained the yogurt by placing it in a coffee filter over a fine mesh strainer for an hour. I turned the ginger and garlic into a paste by grating it. I made the almond paste by blanching the almonds (cover with boiling water for about a minute until the skins easily slide off) and processing with a little water. You can also use a couple of tablespoons of almond butter. Take care not to overcook the chicken on the grill (or oven), because it will cook further in the sauce.
I used this recipe for naan to pair with the Murgh Makhani. We ran out of naan that night, so I cooked some basmati rice to use with the leftovers. Evan and I prefer the Murgh Makhani with the naan, while Chad liked it more with rice.
One of the leading spices in Murgh Makhani is fenugreek. Fenugreek originated in the Middle East and is common in cuisines from India to Ethiopia. It also has medicinal uses. This particular recipe uses the dried leaves (kasuri methi) and the seeds (methi). I was able to find them at the Asian food market. They are also available on Amazon: Peacock Kasoori Methi(dried Fenugreek Leaves) 
Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken) Recipe
Adapted from eCurry
Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken) Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs with or without bone
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- pinch salt
- Ghee or butter melted to brush on while grilling
Marinade:
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt strained, or 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves kasuri methi
- 1/2-1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard oil or other cooking oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic paste
Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 4 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 3 cloves
- 1 1/2- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi
- 2 1/2 inch fresh ginger turned into paste
- 8-10 garlic cloves turned into paste
- 2-4 green chilies cut in half
- 3-3 1/2 cups pureed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder or cayenne, paprika
- salt to taste
- 2 1/2 cups hot water
- 10 blanched almonds made into paste
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves kasuri methi
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Garnish:
- Chopped cilantro
- Heavy cream
Instructions
- Place chicken in medium bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon red chili powder, lemon juice, and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together strained yogurt, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves, turmeric, 1 teaspoon garam masala, mustard oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger paste, and 1/2 tablespoons garlic paste. Coat the chicken with the marinade and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Preheat a grill or oven at 400 degrees Skewer the marinated chicken. Place on grill or oiled baking sheet and brush with ghee. Cook for 5 minutes, turn, brush with more ghee, and cook for another 5 minutes, or until just cooked through.
- In a large pan, heat 4 tablespoons ghee over medium heat. Add the green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Cook until they become fragrant, about 2 minutes, and stir in the fenugreek seeds. Once they begin to sizzle, stir in the ginger paste, garlic paste, and green chilies. Cook until the water from the pastes evaporates, 5-8 minutes.
- Stir in the pureed tomatoes, red chili powder, and salt to taste. Cook until the tomatoes reduce to a thick paste, 15-20 minutes.
- Pour in 2 1/2 cups hot water and add the almond paste. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the sugar and crushed fenugreek leaves.
- Add the grilled chicken, stirring to coat. Cover and simmer for about 8 minutes. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and stir in garam masala and heavy cream. Simmer for 5 minutes before removing from heat. Serve immediately garnished with cilantro and splashes of heavy cream.
Pam
This sounds so good and I think there is only one ingredient that is not normally in my pantry.
Tara
Thanks! Hope you enjoy it!
Tara
Trying this recipe as we speak. I’m hoping to learn the value of almonds to this dish. Would it be unthinkable to use cashews in lieu of the pecans? (Hoping to avoid a dash to the store for almonds!)
Tara
Richmond VA
Tara
I think cashews would work well. Hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Anita
Tara, Thanks for sharing this recipe. The explanation is very detailed and the dish tastes delicious!
Tara
Thanks Anita! I am so happy you enjoyed it!
Jirah
Absolutely delicious! My family loved it and great for leftovers. Thank you so much for sharing !
Tara
Thank you so much Jirah! So happy to hear!
Meghan
I made this last night. I served it with garlic cheddar naan, rice, and steamed veg. It was amazing! I bloomed the spices in a diced onion, which was not called for. I used cashews instead of almonds, because I had cashews that needed to be used. I also added more chili (I used 7 minced Anaheim), and more ground chili/cayenne. I used a home made garam masala blend, which was good. In addition, I can’t get fresh ghee where I live, so I used butter/oil mix instead. Thanks for this recipe; I will be making it again.
Tara
Hi Meghan! Thanks so much. So glad you enjoyed it.
Evelyn Kappmeier
I can not believe I found this recipe again. I had it from ecurry website for a long time and now you can’t open it.
This recipe is to die for. I tried another recipe that looked similiar but it doesn’t come close to this amazing recipe. I am so happy I found you.
Tara
Thank you so much Evelyn for the kind words and I am so happy you found me too! I definitely need to make this again soon and update the photos.
Wolfgang Gehner
Do you grind the cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon for the sauce? I just completed the marinating.
Tara
Hi Wolfgang! I tempered the spices whole in the ghee to infuse, but usually lightly smash the cardamom pods to release the flavor.
Wolfgang Gehner
Thank you! Great recipe, that was amazing! Instead of grilling, I decided to cold smoke the ghee for an hour with pecan and then use the oven. It’s Shrimp Makhani tonight!