Recipe- Restaurant Style Butter Chicken

A creamy rich butter chicken gravy recipe available with video and step wise pictures.

Butter chicken gravy is one of the popular Punjabi non-veg recipes, made with freshly made makhani masala, mild spices and full bursting aromas. This is almost similar to the other famous delicacy chicken Tikka masala.

The basic difference between chicken Tikka masala and butter chicken masala is in the intensity of the spices used. Tikka masala is made of strong spicy layered chicken and tangy tomato gravy. But in butter chicken, we use very minimal spices and the butter gives a sweet touch to the creamy gravy. This makes it a favorite among kids.

Ingredients

400 g boneless chicken
½ tsp salt
1 pinch turmeric powder
½ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp cumin powder
¾ tsp kasuri methi
½ cup fresh curd
1 tsp oil
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 large tomatoes
1 tbsp cashews
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp oil
2 cardamom
1 bayleaf
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 cup water
Salt (as per taste)
¼ tsp sugar
¼ cup fresh cream
1 tsp kasuri methi

Method

* Clean boneless chicken pieces properly and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. We don't need excess water in the chicken.

* Take chicken in a bowl, add salt and turmeric powder.

* Also, add chilli powder and cumin powder.

* Put some kasuri methi and hung non-sour curd.
* Choosing the fresh curd is important to get creamy rich butter chicken gravy.

* Combine everything together properly and keep covered this marination for a minimum of 30minutes to overnight in the refrigerator.

* Take a flat pan, heat oil and add crushed ginger garlic or ginger garlic paste.

* Saute well for two minutes to remove the raw smell of garlic.

* Add chopped tomatoes and saute for two minutes. No need to saute till mushy as we are going to cook them covered.

* For creaminess add some cashews with tomatoes, cover with a lid and cook for four to five minutes in medium heat until tomatoes become soft.

* Switch off, transfer to another plate and let this cool down completely and grind into a smooth paste and keep ready. This is our base makhani masala.

* To the same pan add extra tbsp of oil and heat.

* Add the marinated chicken and try to layer the chicken pieces in such a way that all pieces have contact with the pan. If you don't have a large flat pan, you can do this in a dosa tawa also.

* Do not add water. Chicken can get cooked in its own water plus the curd we added for marination. Also we add oil for the roasted effect.

* Since we use only boneless chicken for this butter chicken gravy, covered cooking is not required.

* Cook the bottom sides of the pieces for 3 minutes and flip them all.

* In total 8 minutes all the moisture is absorbed and chicken cooked well. Switch off keep aside.

* In another kadai, heat butter and saute whole spices.

* Let them roast and nice aroma arises in a few seconds.

* Add the makhani masala(ginger-garlic, tomato and cashew paste) and mix well.

* Saute and add chilli powder and garam masala powder.

* Mix some water to adjust the consistency of the gravy and let cook for a few minutes until the oil separated on sides.

* Add required salt and little sugar.

* Put some salt and sugar.

* Now add the cooked chicken pieces with some water and mix well. Let the chicken absorb the spices for five minutes.

* While finishing, add fresh cream and Kasuri methi leaves.

* Mix and let the cream thickens in the gravy for few seconds, switch off.

* Serve with roti, paratha, Phulkas or pulav.