Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

SUBMITTED BY: MITCHMAN21 PHOTO BY: chibi chef

"Chicken Makhani is one of my favorite Indian dishes. It is a full flavored dish that complements the chicken well. It can be made as mild or spicy as you wish by adjusting the cayenne. Serve with basmati rice and naan bread."

Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken) Recipe

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PREP TIME	5 Min
COOK TIME	20 Min
READY IN	25 Min

SERVINGS

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Servings
USMETRIC

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 white onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup tomato puree
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water

What to Drink?
	Riesling
	Gin Rickey
	Special Lemonade

DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce.
Mix together cornstarch and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

FOOTNOTE

Garam masala may be purchased in Indian markets and in the gourmet section of some supermarkets.

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REVIEWS

Reviewed on jan. 26, 2004 by YAKUTA

I wanted to comment on this recipe and some tips to make it authentic and give it that... MORE

Reviewed on mar. 1, 2006 by AMIBOULD

I am an Indian native looking for an Americanized version of this dish for a friend who is a... MORE

Reviewed on nov. 2, 2003 by MuffinFiend

I haven't made this recipe yet, but am looking forward to it. But I wanted to put a word in... MORE

Reviewed on sep. 23, 2008 by chibi chef

Full Review

The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.54 star rating.

chibi chef
sep. 23, 2008

This dish is SO good, my hubby requests it often. Even though I modified the recipe to make it healthier, I still gave 5 stars because the original tastes good too. My changes: I followed others' advice and added ground cashews instead of cornstarch. The nuts make ALL the difference. To make it healthier, I used smartbalance light spread instead of butter. *HUGE TIME SAVER: Instead of cooking the sauce first and then the chicken, have them both going at the same time. By the time the sauce is finished, the chicken is browned and ready to be combined with the sauce. ** UPDATE** I substituted fat free buttermilk for the half&half, yogurt, and lemon (cuts way down on the fat and ingredients). While the sauce was simmering, I ground the cashews in a blender and then added the sauce (minus the bay leaf) to the blender to puree all the onion pieces and cashews into a smooth and creamy sauce. Otherwise, you'll end up with small bits of onion and nuts - not bad, but better smooth. I then poured the sauce onto the chicken and simmered with the bay leaf until cooked. Other lower fat options for half&half are light cream and nonfat evaporated milk, but I liked the nonfat buttermilk the best because it did not separate when heated.

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63 users found this review helpful

This dish is SO good, my hubby requests it often. Even though I modified the recipe to make it... MORE