Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
By Petrina Verma Sarkar, indianfood.about.com

Makhani is an Indian word meaning "with butter." Butter chicken is the classic Indian truck stop dish. The origins of butter chicken can be traced back to Delhi, during the period of Mughal Empire. A North Indian dish, it is among the best known Indian foods all over the world. Its gravy can be made as hot or mild as you like so it suits most palates. Also commonly known as Murgh Makhani, Butter Chicken tastes great with Kaali Daal (black lentils), Naans and a green salad.

Butter chicken will often look very similar to chicken tikka masala; the difference is that tikka masala has more of a complex, layered flavor from the spices, while butter chicken tastes like, well, butter, with a milder, sweeter gravy.

It can be made as mild or spicy as you wish by adjusting the amount of red chili powder. Indian chili powder (lal mirch) is not much different from cayenne pepper, the only difference might be in the peppers used. Both are dried and ground red peppers which pack plenty of heat. The extra hot types are like they say, extra hot, while Kashmiri chili powder (degi mirch) is more like a hot paprika but with loads of flavor. American chili powder, which you should NOT use, contains several other spices. Don't skip the dried fenugreek leaves. They are what make it taste as though it's from your favourite curry house!

For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavour: When the Butter Chicken is cooked, make a small bowl shape with aluminum foil and place it on top of the curry ('floating' on it). Heat a briquette of charcoal on an open flame till red hot and gently put the charcoal in to the aluminum foil bowl. Cover the dish immediately. Remove the cover just before serving, discard the foil bowl and charcoal and serve. The curry will be infused with a smokey flavor! [or make Tandoori Chicken on the grill and use this for the chicken. Some say the flavor is better if you use Tandoori Chicken for the dish.]

Difference Between Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Chicken Tikka Marsala and Butter Chicken

FMM: I made this using a different recipe and had to doctor this before I could say that this dish was good. The tomatoes in the sauce seemed a bit acidy and I added a little sugar to balance this out. Although this curry is ususally on the mild side, I also added more hot peppers (much better) and a bit more turmeric. I would like the sauce to be smoother. Perhaps adding the canned tomotoes to the browned onions and cooking them down so they carmelize somewhat would bring out their sweetness. A little of the chicken stock could then be added and the tomatoes and onions whirled in a food processor to make them smooth. Some recipes add cream at the end - 1/2 - 1 cup for 2 pounds of chicken.

Best Butter Chicken
from https://thedaringkitchen.com/

1 lb. chicken thighs, sliced
½ cup plain yogurt
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon butter, lard, or ghee
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
14 oz. canned tomatoes, chopped
½ cup heavy cream
Rice or naan bread to accompany

Start by slicing the chicken into one-inch-thick cubes and set aside. [You could also make this with pieces of bone-in chicken.]

Combine the yogurt, chili powder, salt, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic, and ginger in a bowl and mix evenly.
Add the chopped pieces of chicken and mix while ensuring every piece is coated with the marinade.

Cover with a plastic film and refrigerate for at least two hours (or overnight if time allows).

Heat a skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat, and then add the oil. Once it is sufficiently hot, add in the chicken pieces in small batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. The idea is to fry them until each piece browns on every side. Set aside.

Add the butter, lard, or ghee in the same pan, and then throw in the onions. Sweat them for about five minutes, ensuring that you scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Next, add the remaining garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute until they start to release their fragrant aroma. Add the garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and coriander, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Ensure you stir occasionally.

Add the canned tomatoes, salt, and chili powder, and allow the mixture to simmer for about 15 minutes while occasionally stirring until the sauce thickens and turns a deep red-brown color. Remove from heat.

Once the sauce cools, scoop it into the blender and puree until it is smooth. Add a little water if necessary (up to ¼ cup).

Add the sauce back into the skillet and throw in the chicken pieces. Let it simmer on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Stir in the heavy cream and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Serve while hot with your choice of rice or naan bread and enjoy!

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Naan and Kaali Daal.

*Teja Patta, the Indian Bay leaf, tastes more like cinnamon, but milder, and is indeed the leaf of the Cassia tree. The Laurel Bay leaf, common in the West, has a completely different flavour profile, and is not a good substitute for the Indian bay, even if the recipe indicates that it is. There are no similarities between the two. The best thing to do if you don’t have Teja Pata is to leave it out altogether, or add a little cassia, cinnamon or an extra clove instead.