Indian Butter Chicken Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

What is butter chicken sauce made of? ›

Water, Tomato, Cream, Unsalted butter, Vegetable oil, Sugar, Modified corn starch, Concentrated tomato purée, Spices, Dried onion, Ginger, Garlic, Salt, Lactic acid (acidulant), Paprika extract, Citric acid (acidulant), Dried fenugreek leaf.

Butter chicken, traditionally known as murgh makhani (pronounced [mʊrɣ ˈməkʰaːni]), is an Indian dish originating in Delhi. It is a type of curry made from chicken with a spiced tomato and butter (makhan) sauce. Its sauce is known for its rich texture.

Butter chicken is a traditional Indian dish that is rich and creamy with a subtle smoky flavor. At the same time, tikka masala is a British Indian dish with a more complex flavor profile with tangy and spicy notes. Butter chicken is generally sweeter and milder in spiciness, while tikka masala is tangy and spicy.

If you're unfamiliar with butter chicken, also known as murgh makhani, it's a popular Indian dish. It was originally created by Kundan Lal Gujral, a chef at Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi, in 1947. Although murgh makhani translates to butter chicken, its name has nothing to do with butter.

Cashew Paste: Make a paste by blending cashews with water, and then stir it into the butter chicken. This not only thickens the sauce but also adds a creamy texture. Tomato Paste: Incorporating tomato paste can enhance the thickness and flavor of the sauce.

Butter chicken tends to be creamier and sweeter than chicken curry, with heavier spices. On the other hand, Tikka masala tends to focus more on heat and spice. The two dishes often use similar ingredients: tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, and different types of chilies—but they're not quite interchangeable.

Is butter chicken good for the heart? Both butter and cream are high in saturated fat. High intakes of saturated fat increase blood cholesterol levels and the chance of heart disease. Relying on your recipe, one serving of butter chicken may include about 28 grams of whole fat and 12 grams of saturated fat.

Butter chicken is made with a spiced tomato and butter sauce, which does in fact give it the sweet, creamy and buttery taste.

High Protein Content - Butter chicken is packed with high fiber proteins. Since we need around 175 grams of protein daily, butter chicken alone provides 30 grams of protein, thus fulfilling half the daily requirement and making it a good protein source.

Which is healthier butter chicken or tikka masala? ›

Butter chicken is a healthier option than tikka masala. Tikka masala has a shocking 400–500 calories per serving on average, but a serving of butter chicken may have 438 calories. If you're concerned with the amount of fat it has, you can always switch to low-fat substitutes for butter and heavy cream.

The sauce and chicken pieces may be coloured orange using foodstuffs such as turmeric, paprika, tomato purée or with food dye. Chicken tikka masala is similar to butter chicken, both in the method of creation and appearance.

The Spices for Butter Chicken

Kashmiri Lal Mirch: Butter chicken gets its bright color and its name from Kashmiri Lal Mirch, a variety of red chile from the northern region of Kashmir. I usually buy mine from our local Indian store but online retailers carry great varieties, too.

Peshawar residents identified the inventor of butter chicken as Kundan Lal — the first name of both of the cooks. But only one Kundan Lal returned to Pakistan to visit the old restaurant: Gujral, whose grandson says he invented butter chicken in Peshawar.

Butter Chicken, however, has far more humble origins, and was born far closer to home. It only dates back a couple of decades to pre-partition India, and its story takes us to a sweet-shop in Peshawar called Mukhey da Dhaba, owned by an elderly gentleman called Mokha Singh.

Butter Chicken is the most popular Indian dish ordered in restaurants. Like Chicken Tikka Masala, chunks of chicken are simmered in a yogurt and tomato sauce. It is creamy, tangy, and buttery of course.

Heavy cream is an important ingredient, and butter adds a final silkiness to the finished sauce (and is why this curry is called Butter Chicken!).

The spices are generally the same, but the techniques and methods that are used to make it vary so much. With its sweetly spiced tomato and cream-based gravy, butter chicken is a comforting, warming dish that feels decadent thanks to its silky-smooth richness.

As mentioned above, the juicy and tender, flavour infused chicken starts with an easy yogurt marinade made from scratch: plain yogurt, fresh garlic and ginger, and easy to find spices. You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts. We prefer dark meat, but go with what you like.