Whenever I think about comfort food, makhani immediately comes to mind. Indian butter chicken is one of my all time favorite dishes with its warm, complex flavors and loads of saucy goodness just perfect for dragging a piece of naan bread through.
Butter chicken is a very popular Indian dish. Marinated chicken simmered in a rich tomato sauce full of garlic, onions, ginger and chilies seasoned with warm spices and finished with butter and heavy cream. Could that possibly sound any more delicious?
Let’s get started…
Let’s talk about the spices first. Now there are plenty of curry spice blends out there, but with some basic pantry spices and just a few you may need to order on Amazon, you can create your own well balanced makhani spice blend.
The first and I would argue the most important spice is garam masala. It is warm, inviting and a great balance of sweet and savory. I use this spice for curry, but I also add it to my chicken seasoning, potato wedges and these incredible chocolate garam masala cookies. This recipe will definitely not be the only time you use this spice.
You will also need the basics of ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, sea salt and black pepper.
The two unique spices that you will most likely need to order would be kashmiri chili powder and dried fenugreek leaves. Kashmiri chili powder is citrusy and a little bit smokey with a pop of heat and fenugreek leaves are subtly sweet with nutty and bitter notes.
All of these spices work together to create a perfectly balanced flavor profile that hits all of the notes and keeps you coming back for more and more.
Begin by marinating your chicken. Some recipes call for the chicken to be added in raw and simmered until tender, but I prefer to marinade the chicken and sear it before adding it into the sauce. This method looks more moisture and flavor into the chicken, which I feel is totally worth the extra minutes.
In a large bowl, combine 2 pounds of chopped boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs with 5.3 ounces of plain greek yogurt (or a heaping 1/2 cup), 2 cloves of finely minced garlic, a teaspoon of ginger paste, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander and a teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves. Mix until all of the chicken is coated and then chill for 4 hours or overnight.
Now that the chicken is marinating, we can get started on the base of our curry…
Start by blending 6 cloves of garlic, 2 small green chilies, 2 small red chilies, 1 large yellow onion and about 2 inches of peeled fresh ginger in a food processor until everything is super fine. Be sure to remove the seeds from the chilies if you are not a fan of too much heat.
Add this mixture and 4 tablespoons of butter into a large skillet and sauté over medium heat until it begins to caramelize and deepen in color. This should take around 10 minutes.
Next, add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of garam masala, 1 tablespoon of ground coriander, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin, 1 tablespoon of turmeric and 1 teaspoon of kashmiri chili powder and give everything a good mix. This mixture should feel like a thick paste at this point. Cook, while stirring, for a few minutes to allow the mixture to thicken and develop a deeper color.
The photo above is the consistency you are looking for before moving onto the next step. Depending on what type of pot you are using (I highly recommend cast iron) and your stovetops heat, this should take around 3 minutes. I recommend waiting until the paste is a deep brick red color before moving on. The caramelization process is what will really develop those beautiful curry flavors in the end.
Once this color and consistency is achieved, whisk in a cup of chicken stock and loosen any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add 29 ounces of tomato puree and a tablespoon of fenugreek leaves, cover the pot and simmer over medium low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally.
While the sauce is simmering, take the marinating chicken out of the refrigerator and allow the chicken to come to room temperature.
Place a large pot over medium to medium high heat and brown the marinated chicken in some neutral oil on both sides. I usually need to do this in 2 or 3 batches. As the chicken is cooked through, transfer it into the sauce and repeat the process until all of the chicken has been seared and cooked through and is now simmering in the sauce.
Let the chicken simmer in the sauce for about 5 minutes or however long it takes you to clean your skillet and then add 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream and 4 tablespoons of butter into the pot. Simmer until the butter has melted and the color of your curry lifts to a deep orange.
Do a quick taste test and more salt if the flavors are even remotely bland. This curry should knock your socks off… not in a spicy way, but in a “wow this is why people love curry!” kind of way, so if you don’t get that reaction, you need more salt.
Salt does not get the accolades that it deserves. It is often thought of as an ingredient that simply makes something more salty and while, yes salt is salty, more importantly… salt helps to amplify the flavors in what it has been added to. This is why almost every recipe calls for at least “a pinch of salt”.
There is something incredibly warm, comforting and satisfying about a bowl of butter chicken. The flavor is tough to accurately describe, but all I can say is that it hits every note. It is warmly spiced, but with just a little bit of actual heat, a level that even someone who doesn’t love spicy food can really appreciate.
The cream and butter added into this curry not only helps to develop a silky texture, but it also mellows out the spices and creates an addictive flavor that makes you want to keep coming back for more.
You can recognize the sweetness from the garlic and onions and the spicy sweetness of fresh ginger. Everything comes together in such a beautiful way.
If you are looking for a comforting, balanced curry that everyone can appreciate then I would definitely give makhani a try! And while you’re at it, I would make some garlicky naan bread and a big batch of fluffy white rice too.
This trio is one that I will forever be obsessed with and so happy to share with you…
Makhani - Indian Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into chunks
- 5.3 ounces of plain greek yogurt
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon of ginger paste
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves
Makhani Sauce
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 2 small green chilies, stem and seeds removed
- 2 small red chilies, stem and seeds removed
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled
- 8 tablespoons of butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons of garam masala
- 1 tablespoon of ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon of turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of kashmiri chili powder
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 29 ounces of tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon of dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
- fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional garnish)
- additional heavy cream (optional garnish)
- black sesame seeds (optional garnish)
Instructions
Marinate the chicken...
- Cut 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl
- Add 5.3 ounces of plain greek yogurt, 2 cloves of finely minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of ginger paste, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander and a teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves and mix until well combined
- Cover the bowl tightly and chill for 4 hours or overnight
Make the sauce...
- Blend 6 cloves of garlic, 2 small green chilies, 2 small red chilies, 1 large yellow onion, and 2 inches of fresh ginger in a food processor until smooth
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and 4 tablespoons of butter
- Once the butter has melted, add the blended chili mixture and cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally until the mixture reduces and deepens in color
- Add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of garam masala, 1 tablespoon of ground coriander, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin, 1 tablespoon of turmeric and 1 teaspoon of kashmiri chili powder and cook until the mixture has thickened and deepened in color
- Whisk in a cup of chicken stock and work up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet
- Add 29 ounces of tomato puree and a tablespoon of dried fenugreek leaves, cover and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally
Cook the chicken...
- Take the chicken out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cooking
- While the sauce is simmering, place a large skillet over medium heat, add a splash of a neutral oil and cook the marinated chicken until brown on all sides and no longer pink inside
- Transfer the chicken into the simmering sauce
Assemble the makhani...
- Once the sauce and chicken have simmered together for 5 minutes, add 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream and 4 tablespoons of butter and mix until well combined
- Simmer for another 3-4 minutes to bring everything together
- Serve over white rice garnished with fresh cilantro, black sesame seeds and a drizzle of heavy cream
