Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)



Ingredients: (serves 4-6)

2 lbs chicken , washed, patted dry and cut into small pieces – (feel free to use chicken with or without bones, chicken thighs or a combination of breast and thighs)
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt
oil/butter/ghee to baste while grilling
For marinade:

3/4 cup plain yogurt, strained/hung or use 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1.5 teaspoons kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1.5 tablespoon mustard oil, or any other cooking oil to substitute
1.5 tablespoon ginger paste
1/2 tablespoon garlic paste


Note:  You can make the sauce right when you are making this dish or use 2 cups of the Makhani Masala (without the cream added to it) if you have it already frozen and stored.

For the sauce:

2.5 inch fresh ginger, made into a paste
8-10 cloves of garlic, made into a paste
2-4 fresh green chili pepper, slit
4 tablespoon melted butter
4 green cardamoms
3 cloves
1 black cardamom
1 teaspoon methi/fenugreek seeds
3-3.5 cups tomato puree
1 tablespoon red chili powder or to taste
10 almonds, soaked, peeled and made into a paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon heavy cream


Preparation:

Apply red chili powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and set aside for 20 minutes. This is the first marination.

Combine strained yogurt, red chili powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala powder and mustard oil. Apply this marinade to the chicken and refrigerate for three to four hours; overnight works better.

Put the chicken on  skewers and cook on a grill or a preheated oven  at 400°F,  for about 10 minutes while turning them over mid way. Cook until done. Do not overcook, as the chicken will dry out and get fibrous. Baste it with butter/ghee/oil a couple of times while cooking.

(The chicken may be grilled on a skillet/cast iron pan/grill pan on the stove top  too. Heat the skillet/stove top grill pan and coat it with oil. Place the skewers and cook while turning them around and basting with oil and marinade until done, for about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.)

[ If you are using the pre made makhani masala, it should be about 2 cups in quantity]

Heat butter/ghee or oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Sauté for a couple of minutes  or till they start to sizzle and get fragrant; add the methi/fenugrek seeds. When the methi seeds sizzle, add ginger paste and garlic paste, and the slit green chillies. Cook for five  to eight minutes; the water from the paste would have evaporated and the ginger garlic paste would have reduced in quantity.

Add tomato puree, red chili powder, and salt.Cook at medium heat for about 15 – 20 minutes. The puree will reduce to a thick paste and the oil/ghee will separate from the sides of the pan.

Add 2.5 cups of hot water to the pan, add the almond paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes; add sugar and crushed kasuri methi.

Add cooked grilled chicken pieces. Stir well to combine – the chicken will be well coated with the sauce. Cover and simmer for eight to ten minutes; Lower the heat and add garam masala and the heavy cream. Stir in the cream and simmer at low heat for about five more minutes.

Garnish with fresh cilantro and add a splash of cream before serving.