Murgh Makhani

Learn how to make restaurant style Murgh Makhani (aka Butter Chicken) at home…you’ll love the grilled chicken pieces coated in a creamy aromatic makhani curry. And the secret to being so creamy…lies in the cashew nuts…there’s no cream used in my makhani curry. 

We've got a growing collection of restaurant style desi recipes at I Knead to Eat...try this Dal Tadka or Indian Chicken Korma Recipe.

So let’s do this…let’s make Murgh Makhani today, ladle it over steamy rice and scoop it up with piping hot naan. And maybe add Netflix to the occasion? I think that’s what I call a perfect night. Especially if the kids are sleeping! 😀

Quite literally murgh is chicken and makhani is buttery. So this translates to Buttery Chicken most commonly known as Butter Chicken. And what could be better than that?

What is the Sauce Made Of?

Makhani Sauce is a creamy tomato based curry. It’s made with tomatoes, some aromatics, butter and cashew nuts. It's finished off with some heavy cream. Some recipes call for only heavy cream and some call for cashew nuts. It really depends on your preference and what you have on hand, but I think the cashew nuts add a really nice nuttiness in addition to the rich creaminess to it. 

Once the sauce is cooked, it’s blended into a smooth creamy curry which is SO good…you won’t be able to stop eating it.

Spices You Need

This recipe has two components: the makhani curry or sauce and the grilled chicken itself.

Not a lot of spices are required for both the curry and the chicken.

For the makhani sauce, you only need three spices: 

• Bay Leaf
• Green Cardamom
• Red chilli powder

For the grilled chicken the only spice you need is:

• Red chilli powder

These handful of spices are all you need is to make to rich, aromatic and creamy murgh makhani.

Expert Tips

Contrary to a lot of recipes that call for heavy cream and butter for the makhani sauce, I use no heavy cream in the curry. A handful of cashew nuts and a couple of tablespoons of butter are all you need to make a rich and creamy butter chicken sauce. However, I do finish off the curry with some heavy cream. 

The secret ingredient is a pinch of crushed fenugreek leaves (methi) at the very end of the cooking process. Methi or fenugreek leaves are what add the umami to most creamy, rich curries in the subcontinent. And while you can skip this ingredient if you don’t have it at home or don’t have easy access to it, I think it’s what rounds up all the flavors so nicely. 

How Do You Make It?

For the Chicken Tikka:

Marinate the chicken in yogurt, oil, red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste and lemon juice for 15 minutes or so.

Then grill the chicken on a grill pan until it’s cooked through and charred on the outside. Set aside.

For the Makhani Curry:

In a large pot, add all the curry ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot and cook for 20-25 minutes or so.

Using a hand blender, blend the curry into a smooth consistency.

You may need to add 1/2 cup of water for easier blending. Alternatively you can use a normal blender to blend the curry.

Finishing Touches

Add the chicken tikka pieces to the prepared curry, and bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Top with fenugreek leaves powder and heavy cream. Stir through the curry, and serve immediately with naan or rice.

Note: for the full recipe ingredients and instructions please scroll down to the recipe card.

And that’s about it…that’s how you make super delicious Murgh Makhani at home.

Enjoy!! 🙂

More Indian and Pakistani recipes that you’ll love:

Tadka Dal

Aloo Keema

Paneer Manchurian

Chana Dal Recipe

Jeera Rice

Indian Chicken Korma Recipe

Haleem