Butter chicken

Butter chicken

Butter chicken
Origin
Alternative name(s)	Murgh makhani
Place of origin	India
Region or state	Delhi
Creator(s)	Kundan Lal Gujral
Dish details
Main ingredient(s)	Chicken, Butter

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Butter chicken (or murgh makhani) is part of the Indian cuisine, popular in countries all over the world. The origins of butter chicken can be traced back to Kundan Lal Gujral, a Hindu Punjabi, who ran a restaurant called Moti Mahal in Delhi. Butter Chicken is regarded to have been first introduced by Moti Mahal in Daryaganj, Delhi. Butter chicken is usually served with naan, roti, parathas or steamed rice. It should not be confused with chicken tikka masala, a similarly coloured Indian chicken dish that originated among the South Asian diaspora in the U.K..

The global chain of restaurants called Moti Mahal are not directly linked to the original restaurant in daryaganj.

Preparation

Dressed chicken (with or without bones) is marinated overnight in a yogurt and spice mixture usually including garam masala, ginger, garlic paste, lemon or lime, pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric and chili. The chicken is traditionally cooked in a tandoor, but can also be grilled, roasted or pan fried.

The sauce, is made by heating and mixing butter, tomato puree, and various spices, often including cumin, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, pepper, fenugreek and fresh cream. Cashew paste can also be added, and will make the gravy thicker. Of all the spices added to the dish it is dried fenugreek leaves (Urdu/Hindi: Qasuri Methi) that makes the greatest contribution to the characteristic flavour of the dish.

Once the sauce is prepared, the prepared chicken is chopped and cooked until the gravy and chicken have blended. The dish may be garnished with white butter, fresh cream, sliced green chillies and Qasuri Methi.^[1]

Bibliography

• Curry Club Tandoori and Tikka Dishes, Piatkus, London — ISBN 0749912839 (1993)
• Curry Club 100 Favourite Tandoori Recipes, Piatkus, London — ISBN 07499149 & ISBN 0749917415 (1995)
• India: Food & Cooking, New Holland, London — ISBN 978-1845376192 (2007)

References

1. ^ Cookery - Regional Special Recipes- Punjabi Dishes - Butter Chicken