Romy Gill’s Butter Chicken (Murg Makhani)
There are so many recipes for butter chicken. This is my take. With its silky smooth, gently spiced tomato, cashew and cream gravy, it’s a comforting, warming dish that feels decadent.
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
15
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
50
MINUTES
Ingredients
750g skinless, boneless chicken (thighs and breasts), cut into bite-size pieces
For the marinade
10g ginger root, peeled and grated (shredded)
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated (shredded)
2 tsp tandoori masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp yogurt
Juice of ½ lemon
30ml sunflower oil
For the sauce
500g tomatoes
50g butter
20g ginger root, peeled and grated (shredded)
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated (shredded)
1 tsp tomato purée (paste)
1 tsp tandoori masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
30g ground cashew nuts
30ml cream
6-8 green cardamom seeds, crushed
2 tsp dried fenugreek leaf
your choice of Indian flatbreads or rice, to serve
Method
To make the marinade, mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Prick the chicken pieces with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate the meat.
Add the chicken to the bowl and stir well to coat thoroughly. Cover the bowl and set aside in the fridge to marinate for at least a couple of hours.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
Spread the marinated chicken out on a baking tray and cook in the hot oven for 15 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. If the chicken finishes cooking before you have finished making the sauce, switch the oven off after the 15 minutes and leave the meat to rest in the oven.
Blanch the tomatoes in a bowl of boiling water for a few minutes, then remove their skins. Cut into quarters and remove the seeds, then roughly chop and place in a food processor. Blitz to a smooth purée.
Heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the puréed fresh tomatoes as well as the tomato purée and cook for 8-10 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through, stirring regularly to avoid them sticking and burning.
Add all the spices, chilli powder, salt and sugar, mix well and cook for a further 2 minutes until emulsified.
Lower the heat, then add the ground cashew nuts and cream, and stir well.
Add 500-600ml of water – the quantity you choose to add depends on how runny you want the sauce to be.
Bring the mixture to a boil, and when it starts bubbling, add the chicken, lower the heat and cook for a further 8-10 minutes.
Sprinkle over the cardamom seeds and dried fenugreek leaves. Stir and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving with rice or any Indian flatbread.
