Wordsmith Kaur
  • Home
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Mental Health
  • My Story
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Mental Health
  • My Story
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Wordsmith Kaur
No Result
View All Result
Home Food

Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani

by Harjeet Kaur
February 18, 2025
in Food, Recipes
Reading Time: 6 mins read
1 0
12
28
SHARES
4
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on whatsapp
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani

Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani

Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani is the iconic chicken recipes of the north. It is rich, buttery and lip-smacking. Try out this easy recipe of mine and you won’t stop licking your fingers. Butter Chicken is famous not only in India but globally. If you haven’t tasted it till now then you really are missing out on the best.

Not very spicy, Butter Chicken is comparatively mild, chicken pieces are marinated in yoghurt and spices and grilled on the tandoor. Tangy tomato gravy is made and the chicken pieces are then plunged into it to create a creamy, smooth and buttery chicken recipe.

Recipe Curated by KL Gujral

This classic dish was created by KL Gujral of Moti Mahal Restaurant, Delhi. My husband was a die-hard fan and never tired of eating it. One day he had leftover tandoori chicken pieces and didn’t want to waste them and that’s when he made the tomato gravy and had the tandoori pieces swimming in it.

For this Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani, you have to make Tandoori chicken and then the Butter Chicken Gravy. I have found an easier way to do this. I first marinate the chicken and roast it in a pan instead of grilling it and then give it the Dhungar treatment.

If you are on a Keto diet then try this Keto Butter chicken or authentic Tandoori Chicken and for melt in the mouth Kebabs try this Murgh Malai Kebab

The Dhungar Method

https://youtu.be/NBvbrwXtQ18

We in India have grown up with our food being grilled on charcoal grills and we all love that typical rustic aroma. This method of cooking is cumbersome these days but you can smoke your veggies and meats in the Dhungar way.

Dhungar is an age-old smoking technique. To dhungar a food item, light charcoal on your gas flame until it is smouldering red. Place it in a steel bowl and put it in the cooking vessel. Pour ghee or butter on it. Once it starts to smoke, cover with a lid. The smoke will be trapped. Leave it for about 10 minutes and the smoke will permeate the dish. You can add herbs of your choice to the smoking charcoal and the flavour will spread to the dish. Use only natural charcoal, do not use any processed charcoal as it may contain chemicals which might expose your food-to-be-smoked to hazardous fumes.

Ingredients for Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani

For the marinade

1 kg Chicken

1 cup of thick yoghurt

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tbsp Lime juice

2’ stick cinnamon

8 cloves

8 cardamoms

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp Chilli powder

For the Sauce

1 kg tomatoes

2 tbsp cream

1 tbsp white pepper

100 gms butter

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

Kasuri Methi

Food colour optional

Method

Chicken Marinade

Clean, dry and marinate the chicken in the yoghurt, ginger garlic paste, lime juice, powdered spices for 6 hours or overnight.

Grill the chicken in the oven or you can even sauté it on high flame in a Kadai, as I did

To make the sauce

Butter Chicken Masala

Boil the tomatoes with spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and pepper. Once boiled, discard the spices and blitz in the blender to make a smooth puree.

Add the whole spices, fry the ginger garlic paste in butter and add the pureed tomatoes.

Furthermore, add the salt, sugar and pepper. The sugar will balance the tartness of the tomatoes. Add a little garam masala powder if you want to.

Butter Chicken Masala

 Pour the cream and give a gentle mix

Add the crushed Kasuri methi for that final punch of flavour.

In a serving bowl place the grilled chicken and pour the sauce on top or you can even cook the chicken for a couple of minutes in the sauce.

Butter chicken

Garnish the Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani with fried cashews and coriander. Serve with Tandoori naan, Lachha Paratha or Indian bread of your choice. Check how to make Laccha Parathas here

https://youtu.be/aA3HLFwkEkA

Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Main Dish, Mughlai
Cuisine Indian, Mughlai, Tandoori

Ingredients
  

  • For the Marinade:
  • 1 kg chicken
  • 1 cup of thick yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 inch stick cinnamon
  • 8 cloves
  • 8 cardamoms
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp Chilli powder
  • For the Sauce
  • 1 kg Tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp cream
  • 1 tbsp white pepper
  • 1.4 kg butter or half oil
  • 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt to taste
  • kasuri methi
  • food colour-Optional

Instructions
 

  • Clean, dry and marinate the chicken in the yoghurt, ginger garlic paste, lime juice, powdered spices for 6 hours or overnight.
  • Grill the chicken in the oven or you can even sauté it on high flame in a Kadai, as I did
  • To make the sauce
  • Boil the tomatoes with spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and pepper. Once boiled, discard the spices and blitz in the blender to make a smooth puree.
  • Add the whole spices, fry the ginger garlic paste in butter and add the pureed tomatoes.
  • Furthermore, add the salt, sugar and pepper. The sugar will balance the tartness of the tomatoes. Add a little garam masala powder if you want to.
  • Add the cream and give a gentle mix.
  • Add the crushed Kasuri methi for that final punch of flavour.
  • In a serving bowl place the grilled chicken and pour the sauce on top or you can even cook the chicken for a couple of minutes in the sauce.
  • Garnish the Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani with fried cashews and coriander.

Notes

  1. You can make tandoori chicken and then make butter chicken with leftovers.
  2. Add cashew paste for a richer gravy.
  3. Add more cream if you are not counting calories.
Keyword Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani
Harjeet Kaur

Harjeet Kaur

I’m Harjeet Kaur, the voice behind Wordsmithkaur, a lifestyle blog that’s ranked among India’s Top 20. My writing journey started unexpectedly with articles for The Hindu, and I even had a weekend column that had loyal readership. Over the years, I’ve juggled many hats—content creator, freelance writer, and blogger—all while nurturing my love for words. On my blog, you’ll find a little bit of everything: recipes straight from my kitchen, travel diaries, gardening tips, and stories about beauty, mental health, and sustainability. Cooking is my therapy, and I take pride in turning simple, traditional recipes into gourmet dishes—with love as my secret ingredient. I write to connect, to share, and to inspire. Whether it’s content for social media, blogs, or brochures, I thrive on crafting stories that resonate. If it’s writing you need, I’m your go-to wordsmith. Take a peek into my world—I promise there’s always something interesting waiting for you.

Related Posts

Top Teas
Travel

Wayanad Tea Museum: A Mother-Daughter Tea Adventure in Kerala

June 14, 2025
Sweet Branding Why Custom Cupcakes Work as Marketing Tools
Branding

Sweet Branding: Why Custom Cupcakes Work as Marketing Tools

June 18, 2025
Clear Mental Clutter for Growth
Recipes

Clear Mental Clutter for Growth

April 3, 2025
https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/foods-from-around-the-world/
Food

How Different Cultures Make Simple Meals Taste Amazing

March 10, 2025
5 Tips for Mindful Eating
Blogchatter-Write a Page a day

5 Tips to Mindful Eating

March 10, 2025
How to make food appealing to kids
Food

How to Make Food Appealing to Kids

January 15, 2025

Comments 12

  1. Narinder Bhatia says:
    5 years ago

    Your every dish is lip smacking and this one is no exception. Indeed Butter Chicken is an iconic dish down north and perhaps the most popular one too. Was nice to read about how the dish originated. Had it not been for your post, i wouldn’t have known that its an out and out indian dish 🙂

    Reply
    • Simrit Bedi says:
      5 years ago

      I love the way you explain each recipe in detail Harjeet. It’s really nice to read about your own experiences behind every dish that you make. Butter chicken and butter nan are one of my favourite foods too!

      Reply
    • Harjeet Kaur says:
      5 years ago

      Thank u so much Narinder…love the way u appreciate my recipes 🙂 Keep them coming

      Reply
  2. Noor Anand Chawla says:
    5 years ago

    An innovative new method for making an age-old favourite dish. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
    • Harjeet Kaur says:
      5 years ago

      Thanks Noor..it is my pleasure entirely.

      Reply
  3. Arushi Seth says:
    5 years ago

    Thank you for sharing the recipe for one of my most favourite dishes. It’s very difficult to find a great tasting butter chicken and your recipe sounds delicious. Must try this one soon

    Reply
  4. Surbhi Prapanna says:
    5 years ago

    I really admire your presentation style of recipes. you always shared great quality videos, photos, recipe boxes and detail step step by step method. hats off to this perfection. I am a vegetarian, so..but seems like a great recipe for non vegetarians.

    Reply
  5. Debidutta Mohanty says:
    5 years ago

    My hubby is a hardcore non- vegetarian and would love to try this recipe out.

    Reply
  6. Priyal Poddar says:
    5 years ago

    Though I am a pure vegetarian, but your food dishes pictures and recipes always look so yummy. I am going to share this with my friends, I am sure they would love to try this recipe

    Reply
  7. Brinda says:
    5 years ago

    My mouth is drooling over this recipe Harjeet! Can’t wait to try it out! Yum! Your recipes are so nice and you make it sound simple.

    Reply
  8. Sivaranjini says:
    5 years ago

    Attractive and adds a rush to eat it immediately send a parcel 😊next time with a post. great read

    Reply
  9. Archana says:
    5 years ago

    I am drooling over your scrumptious recipes Harjeet ji🙏, I am sure Your creative tadka alwayz raises the taste of your dishes.😄best part is Dhungar method, I saved your way of dhungar method for my next camping program with my friends.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Us


Instagram@wordsmithkaur

Twitter@wordsmithkaur

Vote for Me

Tripoto
IndiBlogger - The Largest Indian Blogger Community


Empowering you to live your best life with inspiration, wisdom, and practical tips. Let's create a lifestyle that truly resonates with you.

Recent Posts

Why Apartments in Downtown Los Angeles Are in High Demand

Why Apartments in Downtown Los Angeles Are in High Demand

June 13, 2025
Top Teas

Wayanad Tea Museum: A Mother-Daughter Tea Adventure in Kerala

June 14, 2025

Quick Links

  • Home
  • My Story
  • Hire Me
  • Accolades
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Categories

  • A2Z Challenge
  • Beauty
  • Blogchatter
  • Blogchatter-Write a Page a day
  • Branding
  • Fitness
  • Food
  • Guest Post
  • Lifestyle
  • Mental Health
  • Recipes
  • Scool Reunion
  • Sponsored Post
  • Travel
Copyright © 2020 WordSmithKaur. All Rights Reserved.

Designed & Developed by Agyle Studio.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Mental Health
  • My Story
  • Contact

© 2020 Wordsmith Kaur by Harjeet Kaur.