Butter chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, is the ultimate comfort food for food lovers. This creamy and perfectly-spiced Indian curry is made with tender chicken and a generous amount of curry. The dish derives its name from the smooth texture of the sauce used to cook the chicken, as well as the copious amount of butter (makhan) used in its preparation. This creamy-tangy chicken dish is a staple of Indian cuisine and is beloved by people all over the world. The dish originated before partition in India where it was first created by Kundan Lal Gujral who was looking to repurpose leftover tandoori chicken. Today, butter chicken is a menu item at Indian restaurants across the globe, and it has even been adapted into vegetarian and vegan versions.
If you want to try making this delicious yet complex dish at home, here are a few tips to make it even creamier and more flavorful.
Here Are Tips To Make Butter Chicken Creamier And Tastier:
1. Get the Right Proportions
Before you start cooking, make sure you have the right proportions of ingredients for the number of people you're cooking for. Getting the consistency and flavour of the curry just right requires proper proportioning of ingredients, so adjust quantities accordingly.
2. Add Cashew Paste
Adding cashew paste is an excellent way to enhance the sweetness and richness of the dish. Soak a handful of cashews in water, and then grind them into a thick paste. Just one or two spoonfuls of cashew nut paste can make your butter chicken even creamier and tastier.
You can use cashew paste in other dishes to add flavour. Photo Credit: istock
3. Don't Skimp on Butter
No matter how hard you try to avoid adding butter, it's essential for the real flavour of butter chicken. The name itself implies that the recipe contains butter, so make sure you add plenty of it to the curry.
4. Use Fresh Tomatoes
For optimal flavour, it's best to use fresh ingredients. While it's tempting to use canned tomatoes, avoid them at all costs. The real flavour of fresh tomatoes is necessary to bring out the best in this dish.
Use fresh tomatoes in the recipe. Photo Credit: istock
5. Create a Balanced Sauce
The sauce is everything when it comes to making authentic butter chicken. To create an authentic red Indian sauce, you'll need onions, garlic, ginger, and a sizeable quantity of tomatoes. Mix these with a few additional spices to keep the sauce's strong flavours going.
6. Add Cream
The cream is perfect for thickening Indian-style curries and is essential to making your butter chicken curry creamier and softer in texture. It also contributes to the slightly sweet flavour of the dish, so make sure you don't forget to add cream.
7. Avoid Excess Water
While water is necessary to make the curry, too much of it can make the curry runny and thin. It's best to add water slowly, checking the consistency of the curry and then adding more water as necessary.
We hope you find these tips helpful. Let us know what you think in the comments below. For the full recipe, click here.