Indian butter chicken, also known as murgh makhani, is a creamy tomato-based and spice-laden chicken curry that is probably one of the most popular Indian dishes around.

While any type of chicken will do just fine in this recipe, the most authentic version of this dish is made with tandoori chicken.

The creamy sauce is made from ingredients such as tomatoes, whipping cream and various spices like red chili powder, cardamom, clove and cinnamon.

These rich ingredients give it a delightful taste, especially when it is enjoyed with steamed basmati rice or naan bread.

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1kg chicken, preferably thigh meat, boneless and skinless, cut into 7cm pieces
• 2 teaspoons ginger paste
• 1 ½ tablespoons garlic paste
• 1-2 teaspoons red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 2 teaspoons lime or lemon juice
• 2 pinches food colour, deep orange, (optional)

Creamy Tomato Sauce

• 4 large tomatoes, quartered
• 1 ½ tablespoons garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons ginger paste
• 1 jalapeno
• 1.5cm cinnamon piece
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cloves
• 2 green cardamom
• 6 whole black pepper
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup water

Garnishing

• Chopped cilantro
• Heavy cream

Method

Chicken

• Begin by washing and patting the chicken dry with paper towels. Next, transfer it to a large bowl, add all the chicken ingredients and mix it well. Cover and marinate the chicken for 30 minutes (or you can also marinate it overnight in the refrigerator).
• Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large wok or a pan and transfer the chicken into the wok or pan.
• Cook the chicken on medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes (until the liquid has dried up and the chicken turns brown on the surface). You can also grill the chicken.
• Transfer the chicken to a clean platter.

Creamy Tomato Sauce

• In a large pan, heat two tablespoons of oil and add the green cardamoms, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaf and cinnamon. Sauté the spices for about 40 seconds and then add the ginger and garlic paste; stir fry for a minute.
• Next, add the tomatoes and jalapeno in along with half a cup of the water. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer for five to seven or until the tomatoes are soft and start to break down. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.
• Then, remove all the whole spices (cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and black pepper) and discard. Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender and puree it to become a sauce.
• Transfer the sauce to a clean pan, add the ketchup, sugar, red chili powder, salt and dried fenugreek leaves and the remaining water. Let it simmer for two to three minutes on low heat and stir occasionally.
• Next, add in the butter, stir and simmer on low heat for another five to seven minutes, or until the sauce starts to bubble. Add a little bit more water if the sauce is too thick.
• Add the cooked chicken and let it simmer for another five minutes.
• Finally, remove the butter chicken from the heat, top it with chopped cilantro and heavy cream, and serve immediately with naan bread or rice.

This article first appeared in Rasa Malaysia.

Low Bee Yinn is a food blogger and cookbook author.