Don’t you love chicken coated in a smooth mixture of spices and butter? Yes, indeed every non-vegetarian loves the soft boneless chicken dipped in the buttery gravy.
Buy, do you know how butter chicken is made in restaurants? If not, then this article is must-read for you to earn how your favorite chicken dish is made.
Butter chicken is an Indian dish that is dearly enjoyed throughout the county, no matter which religious background they come from. Although there is no solid evidence, butter chicken is considered a North Indian dish that is fantasized a lot by Punjabi people.
According to some stories, a cook in an Indian restaurant accidentally innated the recipe of butter chicken. The cook Kundan Lal Gujral of the popular restaurant Moti Mahal restaurant located in Delhi, used make a dish using left over tandoori chicken.
He used to toss the chicken with tomatoes and spices in a bot, after it got the name butter chicken. We do not certainly know if the story of the origin is true but, butter chicken is surely enjoyed a lot in that state.
This aromatic buttery grilled chicken dish is also called “Chicken Makhani, as butter means “makhaan” in Hindi language. Despite being an Indian dish, this chicken recipe is enjoyed throughout the world.
There are several recipes that people follow to cook this easy and delicious butter chicken. But there is a certain way how restaurant-style butter chicken is prepared. Keep on reading the article to know about the butter chicken recipe used in restaurants.
Materials required for making restaurant-style butter chicken
For marination
Boneless chicken Ginger Garlic Paste
Lemon Juice Mustard Oil
Paprika/Chili powder
Yoghurt
Salt
Spices for making butter chicken
For curry
Vegetable Oil Diced Tomato
Butter Sliced Onion
Heavy Cream Green Chili
Cashew Nuts Chopped
Sugar Fenugreek leaves
Salt Bay leaves
Kashmiri Chili powder Cinnamon Stick
Cloves Garlic cloves
Cardamom Ginger
Recipe for making butter chicken
1. Marination
Clean the boneless chicken and pat dry and put it in a large bowl. It is favorable to take the skinless chicken as well as the skin has a coarser taste and also prevents the spices from seeping into the muscle of the chicken. Then add salt, ginger garlic paste add lemon juice and let it sit for 20 mins.
Chicken marinated for preparing Butter Chicken.
In a separate bowl, add mustard oil chili powder, yoghurt, salt, and lemon juice and whisk it for some time. Now add the chicken prepared earlier into this marinade and mix well. Let the mixture sit for at least half an hour before cooking it.
Marination is a very important step in the recipe of butter chicken as the spices created that flavorful taste when blended will in the meat.
Pro Tip: It is even better to marinate the chicken overnight to allow the spices to seep deep into the tender chicken.
2. Cooking the chicken
Grill the marinated chicken in a grill pan for 20 to 30 mins in high heat. You may also grill the chicken in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 20 mins. Keep the grilled chicken aside and allow it to cool for at least 20 mins.
Grilling makes the chicken crispier on the outside and soft and juicy in the inside. Also, the burnt/ toasted taste of chicken adds a different flavor as well.
However, make sure not to burn the chicken while cooking as it will make the outer layer taste bitter spoiling the taste of the entire dish.
3. Making the gravy
- Heat the pan and add one spoon of vegetable oil and a spoonful of butter.
- Add cinnamon, cloves, chili, and chopped garlic to it and sauté for a few minutes.
- Then add onions and sauté in high heat until it becomes translucent and soft.
- Add tomatoes and cashew nuts to the pan. Mix the ingredients, reduce the flame to simmer, and cook for 15 mins by covering the pan with a lid.
- After the tomato becomes pulpy, switch off the flame and let the gravy cool down.
- Blend the mixture after it cools down and transfer this puree to the pan.
- Add chili powder, salt, and water to this puree and bring to a boil then allow it to reduce and turn off the flame
- Keep this gravy aside.
4. Mixing up chicken and gravy
Take a separate pan and melt the butter. Add chopped ginger and chopped green chilly to it and sauté for some time. Now add the cooked gravy to this mixture and adjust the consistency by adding some water.
Butter Chicken served with rice.
Then add fenugreek leaves powder, a pinch of sugar, and salt to taste to this mixture. After mixing these ingredients well, add the cooked chicken to this mixture and still well. Cook the mixture until it comes to a boil and then add fresh cream and cook for a few mins. get centrelink benefit loans.
Turn off the flame and transfer it to the serving bowl. Add fresh coriander leaves and a spoon full of butter to garnish it. Your restaurant-style butter chicken is now ready.
Tips to make butter chicken taste even better
- Chicken thighs are the best part to use for butter chicken. The thighs remain juicy throughout the cooking process and the spices seep in well so the dish will taste even better.
- You may use canned tomatoes or Toma tomatoes to make the gravy.
- Cashew and Almond make the chicken even more smooth and creamier so do not hesitate to put it in the gravy.
- Blend the puree evenly to avoid any lumps. Lumpy gravy will spoil the texture as well as taste of the chicken.
You can enjoy your favorite chicken with bread, chapatis or rice as you prefer. But the chicken tastes better with garlic naan. Garlic naan best compliments the tanginess and rich flavor of the chicken.