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Butter Chicken , also known as Murg Makhani, is a very rich and popular dish with everyone and every age group! My sons know this as ‘chicken with the red curry’ and enjoy it to the hilt. Considering how often we make it at our home, we have to make it a little more healthy without compromising on the taste. Butter Chicken is one of those dishes that very few restaurants get wrong…every cook or chef has his or her own little variations which makes their dish unique and yet, fantastic. Murg Makhani is a dish that has wonderful flavor and a rich and creamy texture. You will surely fall in love with it!
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
Chicken – 1.5 lbs, boneless skinless thighs
Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Salt – to taste
Yogurt – 1/2 cup
Ginger & Garlic Paste – 4 tsp
Tandoori Masala – 2 tsp
Unsalted Butter – 1.5 tbsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Big Cardamom – 1
Green Cardamom – 2
Cinnamon Stick – 1″ pc.
Bay Leaf – 1
Tomatoes – 3 large, pureed
Sugar – 1 tsp or to taste
Dried Methi Leaves (Kasoori Methi) – 1 tbsp
Green Chili – to taste, finely chopped
Heavy Whipping Cream – 1 cup or to taste
Cilantro – 3 sprigs, finely chopped
Method:
1. Cut the Chicken to bite-size pieces and wash it well.
2. In a bowl (or large Ziplock bag) add the following – Lemon Juice, 2 tsps of Ginger & Garlic Paste, Tandoori Masala, Red Chili Powder, Salt and Yogurt.
3. Mix well and marinate in the refrigerator overnight for best results or atleast a couple of hours.
4. Grease a broiler dish with ghee, oil or cooking spray and layer the Chicken in a single layer. Broil on high for 5-7 minutes on each side. Keep an eye on it as every oven varies. The size of the chicken pieces makes a difference and where you place the rack in the oven plays a big role in how long the chicken needs to be cooked.
5. For the gravy, in a medium size pan on medium heat, melt and heat the Butter.
6. Once hot, add the Cardamoms, Bay Leaf and Cinnamon Stick. Fry for 1 minute.
7. Add the balance of Ginger and Garlic paste and fry of 30 secs.
8. Add in the Green Chilis and the Tomato Puree. Mix well.
9. Add in the Salt, Red Chili Powder and Garam Masala and mix well.
10. Allow it to come to a boil and then lower the heat and let the gravy simmer for 10 minutes till most of the juice from the tomatoes evaporates.
11. Add in the Sugar and the Dried Methi Leaves and allow it to cook for another 2 minutes before adding broiled Chicken pieces. Mix well to coat Chicken.
12. Add the Whipping Cream, mix and allow it to come to a boil and take it off the flame.
13. At this point, do a taste test and adjust the salt, sugar and the liquid in the gravy.
14. Mix in half the Cilantro in the dish and garnish the balance while serving.
Tips:
1. Don’t have access to a broiler dish? – no problem…use metal skewers or wooden ones(soaked) or just barbeque them on the grill.
2. Great alternatives to making this dish everyday and not feeling guilty about it -
* Use Chicken Breast instead of Chicken Thighs, but make sure you baste the Chicken Breasts while broiling or they will dry up.
* Use Oil instead of Butter.
* Substitutes for Heavy Whipping Cream – Half and Half, Evaporated Milk, Lactaid, Milk or Milk Powder (so you can control the water).
Watch and learn!
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October 17th, 2007 at 2:50 am
it’s taste like what we eat in indian restaurant really it’s so tasty. i have also some recepie of chicken biryani and i like to share with u .how can i do ? some recepie i submit on ur site but i didn’t get any response that is my recepie selected or not?
[Reply]
October 17th, 2007 at 3:31 am
Hi this is an awesome recipe … thanks .. i love to try the recipes and they are easy to learn
[Reply]
October 25th, 2007 at 5:43 am
I made this tonight for my husband and his friends, and it was a super hit. I didn’t have the dry methi leaves or the green cardamom, but it still turned out great. I will have to agree with Meenakshi and say it did taste like the murgh makhani from an Indian Restaurant! Keep up the good work and I’ll keep spreading the word!
[Reply]
November 21st, 2007 at 8:58 am
This is awesome. Very good website. Video demo makes all the difference. Keep publishing more and also do bit of publicity of your nice work
cheers,
Vandana
San Jose, CA
[Reply]
January 7th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Will it taste better if I use Buttermilk instead of Heavy Whip Cream?
Thanks for the recipe
[Reply]
preethy Reply:
June 26th, 2011 at 5:05 am
definetly it will not
[Reply]
January 7th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
We have never tried Buttermilk but We are sure it will alter the taste and will not be as creamy. If you are looking for a healthier alternative, try using Evaporated milk instead.
[Reply]
February 13th, 2008 at 11:39 am
I AM VEGETARIAN BUT MY HUBBY LOVES CHICKEN.
I STILL DIN’T TRY ANY NON VEG. RECIPE.
I WANT TO TRY THIS BUT PLEASE GIVE ME SOME OTHER ALTERNATE FOR BAKING THE CHICKEN INSEAD OF MICROWAVE.
BCOZ I DONT HAVE THE GRILL ONE MICROWAVE
[Reply]
February 17th, 2008 at 1:32 am
this is a wonderful recipe! i’ve made it twice already and each time it comes out better and better. – Kathleen
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March 7th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I’m a nervous cook, and I tried this recipe today – it turned out really, really great. Just like I have had at the restaurant!
[Reply]
March 18th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Excellent recipe! I made this for a recent dinner party and it was a huge hit. Followed your recipe exactly and it was absolutely delicious! Finding the right tomatoes does make a difference. I used a can of pureed tomatoes, which had the perfect level of sweetness (and saved time). Love this website!! You should definitely advertise more and bring more attention to your great content. Hope you keep posting. Thanks again for this wonderful service!
[Reply]
Daniel Reply:
April 9th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Hi! i wanted to use canned pureed tomatoes too but i didnt want it to affect the taste of the dish by using too much or too little. any suggestions on how much to use?
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
April 12th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Hi Daniel,
One 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes is approx 3 large tomatoes. If you can’t find crushed tomates, you can take a can of diced tomatoes and blend them.
Hope that helps!
[Reply]
swapna Reply:
May 13th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
hey i used the canned puree ,,, the taste is pretty good .. but you need to be a bit careful cos its concentrated so use say about 4-5 spoons of it .. rather than taking the quantity of 3 tomatoes … try it out …
[Reply]
March 19th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Hello anuja and hetal i am from switzerland . i am a nervous cook but now after ur help i am not feeling that . very good website . kindly put one more receipe masala chickpeas. once again thanks for this wonderful website.
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April 18th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
it was very tasty. my husband loved it.
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July 21st, 2008 at 9:11 pm
My mom made this a couple weeks ago and it was awesome! The instructions were really easy to follow. It seriously tasted like it was from a restaurant. We can’t wait to make more stuff. Thanks for this website and recipe!
[Reply]
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 am
i dont have oven,how can i skip the broiling part i have only microwave…
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October 26th, 2008 at 4:35 am
gosh. i have to say this tasted heavenly.. my whole family enjoyed it.
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November 11th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Hi Anuja and Hetal,
Am planing to make this dish for a party. Can i prepare this dish a day before? How do i reheat so that it remains fresh and its aroma intact.
Lov,
sri
[Reply]
November 11th, 2008 at 1:25 am
Hi Sri,
I suggest you make the gravy ahead of time and grill/broil the chicken the day of the party. The broiling takes only about 15 minutes.
So on the day of the party, reheat the gravy, bring to a good boil and add in the grilled chicken and the garnish:-)
[Reply]
November 11th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Thanks Anuja..Will let you know the outcome after the party!!!
My hi to Hetal too..
lov,
Sri
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December 12th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Where can i get Tandoori Masala?
[Reply]
February 15th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Made this on Valentine’s night!!
Excellent receipe!! 10 out of 10! I couldn’t believe how good this tasted! We all thought this was nicer than meals we have had in Indian resturaunts etc.
Keep up the great work!!
[Reply]
February 19th, 2009 at 4:51 am
This recipe turned out superb!!! The only thing I did differently was put 3/4 tsps of sugar instead of 1. Thanks so much for this recipe! I can’t wait to try others.
[Reply]
April 14th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
ive tried this recipe several times. i did make some changes to suit my needs. i used half a tbsp of butter, which worked out fine (and reduced the calorie and fat level), 1 chopped green chili. i reduced the garam masala by half, used about a 1/4 tsp of red chili powder, and used 3/4 cup half and half (more than creamy enough using this!). another thing i did was used canned tomatoes, and since those tomatoes were small roma type tomatoes, i used double (so about 6 with a little tomato juice from the can) and pureed it in my magic bullet. ive also made paneer makhani using this recipe and it turned out equally awesome. Your recipe is definetly better than restaurant butter chicken, which can be a hit and miss.
[Reply]
May 13th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
i tried the same with paneer and its come out awesome …
[Reply]
May 26th, 2009 at 5:01 am
Is full butter a better flavour than clarified butter (ghee) for this?
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
May 27th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Hi Lou,
You can definitely use butter. The flavor is slightly different. The benefit of ghee is that it has a high smoking point and doesn’t burn as does butter.
[Reply]
May 27th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
i have been trying to get the methi leaves in the butter chicken where could i find them i am in a small town with very limited shops this recipe sounds so easy to make but i would not like to leave any thing out as i may not get the same taste thank you by the way great site
[Reply]
May 28th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Yummy! I’ll try it this sunday for my husband .And i’m sure he’ll like this recipe .. It looks too good.
[Reply]
August 7th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
thnx a lots hélle and anuja
[Reply]
August 15th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Hi Anuja and Hetal,
I noticed that you have Butter paneer on your site as well, but the mixture is slightly different. Does it need to be different to cook chicken that way? Or can you use the Butter Paneer recipe and just add the marinated chicken? The reason I ask is that chat masala used in butter paneer has a very distinctive taste and I wasn’t sure you could use the butter paneer sauce recipe for the chicken. Thanks so much for bring a pinch of spice to my life!!! You guys are great!
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Hi Judy,
There are so many different recipes for Butter Chicken/Paneer that we thought we’d show a couple of them. Either the paneer or the chicken will work great for either sauce. Like you said, you can add the marinated chicken to the butter paneer recipe and finish the cooking process.
[Reply]
August 30th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Hello,
Thank you for this recipe and the videos, I am very excited to try this. I was at India Fest in Memphis , Tn this past weekend and got a chance to buy some buttered chicken and bring it home and eat (Fasting for Ramadaan) and my husband requested I make this! Thank you so much for the recipes it reminds me of back home shopping on Devon Street in Chicago and stopping and getting lunch!
[Reply]
September 1st, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Hi Anuja & Hetal,
I loved this recipe.My sons complimented saying,it tastes just like the restaurant.I’m planning to make this for my next party,so I have 2 questions
1. Can I use chicken breast instead of thigh?(It’s easier to turn them in the oven)
2.Can I use canned tomato puree?If yes, what’s the equivalent proportion?
Thanks,
Your sincere fan,
Shakuntala
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:34 am
Hi Shakuntala,
We are so glad that you and your sons enjoyed this recipe, thanks for taking the time to let us know.
To answer your questions:
You can use chicken breast. It is definately healthier because it has a lot less fat. What you have to keep in mind is that it also cooks really fast so try not to overcook it in the oven.
One, 14 oz can of crushed/ pureed tomatoes is approx 3 large tomatoes.
Have fun at the party!
[Reply]
October 16th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Hi there,
Thaks fro sharing our recipe.I had a quick question, can i use sour cream instead of whipping cream?
[Reply]
October 28th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
I just tried this recipe during the weekend and it turned out so good… The first trial itself was just perfect.Thanks for really being clear on how to cook it..so there is more partying at my home these days
[Reply]
November 7th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
hello
for the butter chicken i do not have a oven so what can i do instead
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November 8th, 2009 at 1:23 am
This is really a good website for ppl to learn step by step cooking and I’ve tried some dishes myself it sure taste good….keep up the good work Ladies you’re doing a good job…..: )
[Reply]
November 13th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
My guests just loved this dish.I made it for my party using pureed tomatoes after consulting you in Sept.
Thanks a lot for your suggestion & keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Shakuntala
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Thanks for the feedback Shakuntala. Glad everyone enjoyed it!
[Reply]
November 18th, 2009 at 4:58 am
hello
i don not have an oven or a grill is there something else that i can use… let me i rely want to try it,,, coz i hav tried ur other reciepes it came rely gud…
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Hi Puja,
Although we’ve never tried it, you could possibly cook the chicken in a pan on the stove and then add it to the gravy.
[Reply]
Anonymous Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Give the marinated chicken a charcoal baghar and then add. Or stir fry in a little butter or oil. Great recipe
[Reply]
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
could u post some more chicken recipes plz…
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November 23rd, 2009 at 12:33 pm
can we use the fresh cream instead of whipping cream??
and does the taste changes if we fry the marinated chicken in butter or should it be broiled in oven to say this is “butter chicken”??
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Hi Mersh,
If the fresh cream is the pouring consistency, it will work for this recipe. If you don’t have an oven, you can always cook the chicken on the stove and then follow the same procedure.
[Reply]
November 27th, 2009 at 5:10 am
[...] platters with your choice of two meats, one vegetable, rice and naan bread cost $7.99. The chicken makhni – with red curry, yogurt, cream and chili peppers – is buttery, bad-for-you good [...]
February 25th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Should i break open the green cardamon pods before adding? will it make a difference?
Thanks
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Hi Bobby,
If you want more intense cardamom flavor, you can pound the pods slightly. However, you don’t want all the whole seed coming out because it’s not a good thing to bite into a cardamom seed (unless you really LOVE cardamom)
.
[Reply]
April 18th, 2010 at 7:02 am
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
First of all, thank you for sharing the recipe with the video…it’s helpful…I did try it today..1st time…how does it suppose to taste ? It was very think and sourish..where I tried to add sugar afew times..but the sourish taste didnt reduce that much…But, later on I was thinking of adding water and boiling it…I added sugar and salt…now it was tasting much better from my opinion…
Can you tell what I may have done wrong in the 1st place where it was sourish ?;)
Thank you.
Rgds,
Savin
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 4:10 am
Hi Savin,
Don’t know why it was sour – there is nothing (other than the tomatoes) and that is not too much.
Hope you did use the right ingredients – or maybe your tomatoes were very sour (guessing)
The gravy is very creamy with a slight hint of sour and sweet (from the sugar) and the chicken is very flavorful with a slight char-grilled taste but very soft and tender. Overall one of the most loved and popular chicken dishes in Indian cuisine.
Hope you’ll give it another try (try reducing the tomatoes quantity)!
[Reply]
May 3rd, 2010 at 4:21 am
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
could you please post recipe for CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA??
Sincerely,
Shakuntala
[Reply]
May 31st, 2010 at 1:18 pm
[...] I made the butter chicken…. Rather than suffering in an effort to make tandoori masala, I just added in a little more [...]
July 1st, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Hi Anuja and Hetal,
you guys are simply amazing…amazing recepies.
i sooo much wanna make this recepie but i am not allowed to mix any milk product with chicken ..(due to religious reasons)
what do i do ..
i want to make this dish
what alternatives to i have instead of the butter,cream and yogurt.
please help..
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
Hi Edna,
We understand and a great alternative for you would be to use Coconut Milk in the c=gravy and for the marination, skip the yogurt (use just the spices)
It will taste great
Enjoy!
[Reply]
July 19th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Dear ladys!
We are a few guys who are living and working in Budapest( Hungary). We are following your youtube recipe and also your website….
We are meeting once the week and we are cooking your recipes.
It is not possible to find a good Indian restauarnt in Budapest!
Thank you for all your effort!
Lady’s, The IBM boys loves you!
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Hi Serge,
Thank you so much for the wonderful comment
Glad we can bring a little bit of India to you…in Budapest
[Reply]
July 31st, 2010 at 8:10 pm
I really enjoyed making this dish… I thought it would have been really difficult but turns out it was easy and fun and it turned out delicious! =) Thank You
[Reply]
August 12th, 2010 at 5:23 am
hie,
Im planning to make this for a party 2 days from now and I need to alter this recipe to serve 8 people…how do I do that?
help!
relatively inexperienced cook!
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
August 12th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Hi Asha,
Sorry, we were on vacation!
This recipe serves about 4-6 people, so depending on how many more dishes you are making, we suggest doubling this amount at the most (better to have extra then run short)!
[Reply]
asha Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
hie anuja…
Thank you so much for the reply! I think I will double it…will let you know how it went…
Hope you both had a great vacation and all the best for the food network challenge- Ive cast my vote couple of time!
Big fan!
Keep up the great work…
[Reply]
August 13th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
I have one more doubt…what do you do with the rest of the marinade? after the chicken marinates overnight, there is some marinade left in the vessel….can we add that to the gravy???
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
August 17th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Hi Asha,
If you have a lot left, use it for basting. We don’t suggest that you add to the gravy as it will alter that flavor.
[Reply]
asha Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 5:45 pm
thanks anuja…i made this for the party and it was a big hit!
thank you for your wonderful recipes
[Reply]
September 30th, 2010 at 2:35 am
Hi,
could you please get the print option that you used to have before. As every time i have to print i have to copy and paste in word and then print. your print option was really good. hope you work on it and bring it back soon.
thanks
amita
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
September 30th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Hi Amita,
There is a black box with many different icons at the top of every post. Look for the printer icon and it will take you to a printer friendly page.
[Reply]
October 3rd, 2010 at 10:39 pm
This by far is the best butter chicken recipe I’ve ever found. I’ve made this 3 times already and the results are just consistently delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.
I’ve just printed your recipe for naan bread, I’ll let you know how it goes.
Cheers!
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
October 4th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Hi Chowhound,
Glad you enjoyed the Butter Chicken…thanks for your feedback.
[Reply]
November 10th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Hi
How do i cook the chicken(for butter chicken ) if i dont have an oven .can you please tell me the method of cooking chicken
[Reply]
November 19th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
I tried this recipe today for the first time and it turned out to be delicious! Thanks for the great instructions!
[Reply]
November 28th, 2010 at 2:58 am
Hello, Ladies:
I am so excited to try this recipe; however, I cannot find dried or fresh methi leaves…Can I use ground fenugreek seeds instead?
Thank you:)
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
November 29th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
Hi Debbie,
Ground fenugreek seeds have a very bitter taste and will not work well for this recipe. You can find dried or fresh methi leave at most Indian grocery stores. Even Sprouts or Walmart in our area sometimes carry it.
[Reply]
December 7th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
I have tried some of your recipes and they are reaally good! But for this recipe I wanted to ask you how can I make this with more gravy? Do I add more tomatoes or cream?
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Hi Lisa,
If the gravy is too thick, you can thin it down with a little milk mixed with the cream. If it is too less, then you can add more tomatoes and cream. You may have to adjust the spices.
[Reply]
December 9th, 2010 at 7:43 am
Hi, I am on a quest to improve my Indian cooking repertoire, and I have been trying for a while now to figure exactly what type of curry “chicken curry” that you see in restaurants is. It looks the most like this butter chicken, do you know if that is the case? Unfortunately the menus simply state “chicken curry”, which isn’t very helpful when curry means sauce
I hope this is the one!
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
December 10th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Hi Kym,
I can understand your issue. Most restaurants do serve butter chicken. This is the creamy one.
[Reply]
Kym Reply:
December 14th, 2010 at 4:27 am
Hi again,
I made this last night and it was out of this world amazing!!! Thank you for helping to shed light on the mysteries of Indian cuisine
I no longer need to go to the buffet!
[Reply]
December 17th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
I did this last week. It is excellent and tastes just like the restaurant. Thank you very very much!
[Reply]
December 18th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Hi there.
Tried this recipe. Came out awesome. thanks a lot. Followed the recipe as is, except for I used milk and no heavy cream.
Thnx a lot. Cooking is so much fun now.
[Reply]
December 23rd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Hello Ladies……………
I am one of your big fan………Loved all ur recipes uptill now……..Thank You so much………:-)
Well i will be very glad if u let me know how to prepare tandoori masala which you have used in butter chicken??
Thank You…………..
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
December 27th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Thanks so much! We used Rajah brand Tandoori masala. Maybe we’ll have a recipe for homemade masala soon.
[Reply]
December 30th, 2010 at 2:04 am
hi,
. Thank you soo much.
I made this dish last night for my husband. I am a vegetarian, but my husband eats meat, so thought of trying it out for him. My first ever i’v cooked non-veg and it was really really tasty(is what my husband said)
[Reply]
January 2nd, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Hi Hetal and anuja,
I wanted to ask if i can use ghee instead of butter here in this recipe will it alter the taste??
[Reply]
February 1st, 2011 at 5:03 pm
Hello Dearies,
I tried your awesome recipe using chicken breasts but faced a few problems as I was cooking chicken for the first time:
1. I didn’t have a broiler dish.So I substitued by putting foil on normal grill and poked few holes in it for juices to rinse down. I hope it is correct ..
2. I never broiled chicken so I kept it in a special symbol in my oven
Not sure it was correct or not.
I don’t know the problem but when I put everything in gravy,although the pieces were cooked but were hard to chew and not very tasy.
Could you please suggest what could have gone wrong and how to correct it..
So grateful to you for making cooking easier for me
Love,
Angie
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
February 7th, 2011 at 9:57 pm
Hi Angie,
Chicken breast have very little fat in them hence cook faster and tend to get overcooked and chewy. Chick thighs are what we usually use, they have a little more fat in them so they remain moist.
If you do not have a broiler – crank up the temperature of your oven to the maximum and then cook to try and get the tandoor effect
[Reply]
Angie Reply:
February 8th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Hey Thanks for your reply..But I don’t get boneless chicken thighs here..
Is there any other special suggestion to cook the chicken breasts ideal for Butter Chicken?
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
Hi Angie,
You can use the Chicken Breast or you can use the Chicken thighs with the bones.
If you care using Chicken Breast – you will need to cook less – unfortunately, can’t tell you exactly how long. You will have to experiment in your oven.
February 7th, 2011 at 9:38 am
Please reply to my questions above..
[Reply]
February 27th, 2011 at 10:11 am
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I donot seem to have broil function.
I have Static (symbol one line up and one line down), Grill + Fan function (symbol like grill on top and fan ), Grill function and extra grill for which door has to be left open , Fan function (Symbol fan).
Which do you think i should use?
Thanks
Sonali
[Reply]
Anonymous Reply:
March 4th, 2011 at 9:40 am
Please reply to my question above. Thanks
[Reply]
March 13th, 2011 at 4:53 am
I made this for dinner tonight. It was unbelievably good. I husband said I’d outdone myself. He stood over the bowl with a fork and kept saying, “MMMMM. This is so good.”
This recipe is a bit more labor intensive than some of your other recipes, but well worth it.
Thank you so posting this video.
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
March 15th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
Hi Sheri,
Yes, it has that extra step of marinating and cooking the chicken – but like you said “well worth it”
Glad you guys enjoyed it
[Reply]
March 14th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
I made this yesterday for my Italian friends who do not fancy strong Indian spices and flavours….and it turned out to be a big hit!!
They loved it as it was a great balance of of flavors yet not overwhelming with spices. Thanks for a great recipe and the great work!
[Reply]
March 16th, 2011 at 2:07 am
this was sinfully divine !!!!! food this good should be crime…
thank you sooo much …i always ate butter chicken in restaurants after many failure attempts at home…
no more !! it was so easy…u cant go wrong !!!
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anuja Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 12:48 am
Hi Sara,
Glad you enjoyed it
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March 26th, 2011 at 11:56 pm
Hello,
I have looked all over town – unable to find dried methi leaves and tandoori masala—Is there anything else I can substitute for these flavors?
Thanks so much!
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April 14th, 2011 at 1:49 am
This is amazing! the website is so great. I find all of the recipes i would otherwise be searching on google! thankyou!
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anuja Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 6:50 pm
Thanks HannahR!
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April 15th, 2011 at 3:16 am
Hi Anuja and Hetal,
If you were making this with paneer, would you marinate the paneer in the Lemon Juice, Ginger & Garlic Paste, Tandoori Masala, Red Chili Powder, Salt and Yogurt and then fry it?
Or just add the marinade ingredients to the gravy and fry the paneer in oil like usual? Or omit the marinade ingredients altogether?
I know you have a separate recipe for butter paneer, but this gravy just looks so good!!!
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anuja Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
Hi Claire,
Yes, we suggest marinating the Paneer like you mentioned and suggest you saute it. The sauteing will seal in the flavors.
One tip – if you are using the store-bought Paneer, use a fork and very gently, prick the paneer so that the marination and the juices seep in all the way.
Hope that helps.
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April 27th, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Hi ladies! Thanks for the recipe
I like totally rocked this dish yesterday! Everyone was licking their fingers off
Gonna make it again this weekend, only a bit more this time!
Love from Amsterdam,
Sam
PS. Gonna get a pizzastone soon and try out making naan. Will go quite nice with the butter chicken
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anuja Reply:
April 28th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
Hi Sam,
Great to hear that!
You know the problem about making great food, rt?
They keep coming back for more
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May 5th, 2011 at 7:31 pm
Anuja and Hetal,
How do you cook yogurt in this recipe without it being curdled? I love the butter chicken in restaurants, but can’t make it at home because of the yogurt turning into cottage cheese
Please help!
Svetlana
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hetal Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Hi Svetlana,
The yogurt is used in the marinade and not really cooked in the gravy for it to curdle. The gravy is made using cream.
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May 8th, 2011 at 11:46 pm
Hetal,
Thanks so much for the quick reply! After my post, I marinated the chicken without yogurt. The recipe came out wonderful! But this time, I will be following the recipe very close.
Love your work.
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June 20th, 2011 at 3:04 am
Hi ladies,
I followed your suggestions and made this with paneer last night and it turned out awesome
I’ll definitely be making this again soon! Thanks so much
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hetal Reply:
June 22nd, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Thanks for the feedback Claire! Glad you enjoyed the paneer makhani!
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June 23rd, 2011 at 3:32 am
I just want to say that we’ve been relying on this recipe for almost 4 years now. We LOVE it! We substitute Fenugreek for the Dried Methi Leaves and it works fine. It’s def always better when the chicken marinates over night.
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hetal Reply:
June 23rd, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Thanks for the feedback Jamie!
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July 22nd, 2011 at 3:31 pm
u have suggested milk powder as one of the alternatives for whipping cream. how to use this milk powder. should i put it directly on the chicken gravy.
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hetal Reply:
July 25th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Hi Swa,
You can add less water to the milk powder to bring it to the consistency of heavy cream…then add it.
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swa Reply:
July 26th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
thanks for your reply. will adding milk powder rather than whipping cream make any difference in the taste of the dish. secondly can i add milkpowder (instead of cream)to butter paneer recipe given in your site. at home when you cook these dishes how you make it less fattening….
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hetal Reply:
July 26th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Hi Swa,
We substitute evaporated milk for heavy whipping cream to save on fat and calories. The taste may be better than using milk powder.
September 13th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
I love Indian food, and I love to cook. I really appreciate you ladies providing such an informative site for people like me who didn’t grow up around these dishes or spices! I’m on my way to the local IndoPak store to stock up!
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hetal Reply:
September 13th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Hi Kelly,
That’s great! The videos are a little outdated but we have “Stocking Your Pantry for Indian Cooking” – Parts 1 & 2. You can check them out in the “Odd and Ends” tab.
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September 23rd, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Ladies, I marinated my chicken in the sauce for a few hours. In order to do that I doubled the recipe. Can I freeze the extra sauce and how long will it stay good?
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hetal Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Hi Paul,
Which sauce did you marinate the chicken in… the marinade that we mention or the gravy?
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December 4th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Made this the other day with left over thigh meat from a turkey. Also, used 1/4 cup of half and half and the rest yogurt instead of the heavy cream. Came out great.
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hetal Reply:
December 5th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Hi Paul,
Thanks for posting your feedback with a variation. We’re sure it will help others.
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March 21st, 2012 at 12:44 pm
hi hetal,
form where can i view ur video for this receipe,
u both are doing gerat, i have tried some other dishes by reading and following ur instructions, they come out really wonderful.
one question u being guggu do u eat non-veg…because all my guggu friends keep away form it.
thanks
sylvy
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hetal Reply:
March 21st, 2012 at 1:02 pm
Hi Sylvy,
The video is at the bottom of the page…just scroll down. I am a vegetarian, but my husband and children are not. Therefore, I am accustomed to being around non-veg food.
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April 25th, 2012 at 3:42 pm
Hi…I was wondering if you ever made this dish in the crock pot and if yes any advice on doing so….thanks
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May 7th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
This dish was a great hit. The recipe is fantastic! I love you guys! I am learning so much, and my friends and family are just thrilled! Thank you!
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June 11th, 2012 at 9:14 am
Hi
And for desert made the eggless chocolate cake n that too was excellent
My wife is a homemaker and she is the one who cooks in the weekdays .Just wanted her to have a relaxing weekend so decided to cook for her n kids . This recipe was a BIG HIT.but one problem…….they are asking me to do this every weekend
Had fun cooking for them and your site is great help for inexperienced cook like me.
Thank you.
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hetal Reply:
June 12th, 2012 at 3:29 am
Hi Ashwini,
Wow! That’s great to hear. Its nice that you are giving your wife a break…and what a great compliment that your family if asking you for more
.
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June 13th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
Thank you so much for this recipe. Love the video ! It is so helpful
We love indian food and always wanted to try make some nice dish and with your help I did it!
I added 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (health benefits) and used fresh ginger instead of paste.
Next time have to add 1 more tomato for more sauce.
Btw.
Your webside is wonderful!
E
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hetal Reply:
July 2nd, 2012 at 3:30 pm
Thanks so much Erika!
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August 22nd, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Hi. I have made this a few times and the flavor is great but the chicken does not taste good. I use chicken breast and cut it up and do as you say. It turns out chewy and dry even when I under cook the chicken a little.
Please help because I know my family would eat it if the chicken was edible.
Thx
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hetal Reply:
August 24th, 2012 at 1:58 am
Hi Seema,
The problem is most likely that you are using chicken breast rather than chicken thighs. Breat meat is usually dry and tends to get chewy.
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October 13th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
I made a batch of this last night and it was great but a little too salty. What can I do to take the salt levels down for today? Will adding more crushed tomatoes help? I’ve already added more cream
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January 28th, 2013 at 7:33 am
This is an awesome recipe – and my guest loved it! It was extremely thick and creamy but next time I want the sauce to be a little more soupy like the restaurants. I was thinking to add water but wasn’t sure!
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Sheetal Reply:
January 28th, 2013 at 7:35 am
Also after I put the cream in it made the dish a pinkish color? How do I make it red? Food coloring?
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hetal Reply:
February 4th, 2013 at 5:28 pm
We are not big fans of food coloring but you can use Kashmiri or Deggi Mirch… it will increase the amount of redness in the dish without adding too much heat.
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hetal Reply:
February 4th, 2013 at 5:27 pm
Hi Sheetal,
Yes, you can add a little water if you want to thin it down.
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January 29th, 2013 at 4:24 pm
dear hetal and anuja,
iam a big big fan of urs…I don’t know how many recipes I have tried and they all come out real good.the most I liked was ur baked chicken wings…the came out fabulous..whoever ate..kept asking did u make it?
I HAVE A HUMBLE REQUEST IF U PLEASE COULD HELP ME WITH SOMETHING.I HAVE ABIG PARTY ABOUT 60 PERSONS..CAN U PLEASE MAIL ME THE AMOUNT OF INGREDIENTS I SHOULD USE TO MAKE BUTTER CHICKEN.i will really appreciate ur help.The party is on the 7th of feb,please if u can help me out with this…
thank u so much…eagerly waiting for ur mail!
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hetal Reply:
February 4th, 2013 at 5:18 pm
Hi Sree,
This recipe serves about 6 people. Since it is a party, I am assuming that you will have lots of other items as well and the chicken is not the only item. You should probably make about 6-7 times the quantity shown. If the chicken is your only item, you may want to do the full 10 times the recipe. Whatever you decide, it is easy…just multiply all of the ingredients by the number of batches you want to make.
Here are two helpful conversions:
3 tsp = 1 Tbsp
4 Tbsp = 1/4 cup
Good luck!
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April 28th, 2013 at 12:38 am
I just made this tonight for dinner and it was really excellent! I used Lactaid milk instead of cream per the substitution suggestions and then added a small pat of butter at the end to give it a little shine and oomph. Thanks for such a great recipe!
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hetal Reply:
May 8th, 2013 at 5:28 pm
Thanks for the feedback Anita!
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