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Butter chicken
Murgh makhani: charred, marinated thighs in a smooth tomato, butter and cashew sauce
Chicken thighs marinated in yogurt and Kashmiri chilli, roasted hot until charred, then simmered briefly in a blended tomato sauce finished with butter, cream and dried fenugreek. Roasting the chicken separately gives it the smoky edges of a tandoor, and blending the sauce with cashews makes it silky without a lot of cream.
- Energia
- 640 kcalpor porção
- Preparo
- 25 min
- Cozimento
- 50 min
- Descanso
- 2 h
- Proteínas
- 46 g
Como ficou?
Utensílios
- Mixing bowl with a lid or cling film
- Large roasting tray with a wire rack
- Heavy-based saucepan or casserole (3–4 l)
- Blender or stick blender
- Fine sieve (optional, for a restaurant-smooth sauce)
- Instant-read thermometer
Antes de começar
- Cut the chicken into 4–5 cm pieces and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Soak the cashews in just-boiled water for 15 minutes, then drain.
- Chop the garlic and ginger for the sauce; slit the green chilli.
- Cube the butter and keep it cold. Take the cream out of the fridge.
- Line the roasting tray with foil and set the rack on top.
Modo de preparo
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Marinate the chicken
800 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs120 g plain whole-milk yogurt15 ml lemon juice2 colher (sopa) ginger-garlic paste3 colher (chá) Kashmiri chilli powder2 colher (chá) garam masala1 ½ colher (chá) fine saltIn the bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, two thirds of the chilli powder, half of the garam masala and two thirds of the salt. Add the chicken, turn to coat every piece, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Está pronto quando Every piece is evenly coated in a thick, orange-red paste with no bare patches.
Dica Longer than 24 hours and the acid turns the surface of the meat mealy.
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Heat the oven
800 g boneless, skinless chicken thighsHeat the oven to 240 °C, fan off or on grill-plus-fan if you have it. Spread the chicken on the rack in a single layer with space between the pieces, shaking off excess marinade.
Está pronto quando The oven light has gone off and the pieces are not touching each other.
Dica Crowded pieces steam instead of charring. Use two trays if needed.
240 °C · 464 °F -
Roast until charred
800 g boneless, skinless chicken thighsRoast on the top shelf for 12–15 minutes, turning once halfway, until the edges blacken in spots and the thickest piece reads 74 °C in the centre.
Está pronto quando The edges are dark and blistered, the juices run clear, and the thermometer shows 74 °C.
Dica Slightly under is fine if you will simmer it in the sauce, but check 74 °C before serving.
240 °C · 464 °F -
Bloom the whole spices
60 g unsalted butter1 colher (sopa) neutral oil4 green cardamom pods1 cinnamon stickWhile the chicken roasts, melt half of the butter with the oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the cardamom and cinnamon and stir for 30 seconds.
Está pronto quando The butter foams and the kitchen smells of warm cardamom; the spices darken slightly but do not burn.
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Fry the aromatics
4 dentes garlic15 g fresh ginger1 green chilliAdd the garlic, ginger and green chilli and cook over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Está pronto quando The raw garlic smell turns sweet and nutty, and the edges of the garlic are just turning pale gold.
-
Simmer the tomatoes
800 g canned whole peeled tomatoes40 g raw unsalted cashews250 ml water3 colher (chá) Kashmiri chilli powderAdd the tomatoes, crushing them with your hand, the drained cashews, the water and the rest of the chilli powder. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then.
Está pronto quando The tomatoes have collapsed completely, the cashews crush easily against the side of the pan and red oil starts to pool at the edges.
Dica Partly cover the pan: the sauce spits as it thickens.
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Blend the sauce
4 green cardamom pods1 cinnamon stickFish out the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Blend the sauce until completely smooth, then push it through the sieve back into the pan if you want it restaurant-smooth.
Está pronto quando The sauce is uniform, bright orange-red and coats the back of a spoon with no specks of cashew.
Dica Blending hot liquid builds pressure: fill the blender only halfway and hold the lid down with a towel.
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Season the sauce
60 g unsalted butter2 colher (chá) sugar1 ½ colher (chá) fine salt2 colher (chá) garam masalaSet the pan over low heat and stir in the remaining butter a few cubes at a time, the sugar, the rest of the salt and the rest of the garam masala. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Está pronto quando The sauce is glossy, slightly thicker and tastes rounded rather than sharp.
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Add the chicken
800 g boneless, skinless chicken thighsAdd the roasted chicken and any juices from the tray. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes so the chicken absorbs the sauce.
Está pronto quando The chicken is hot right through, a piece cut open is white with no pink, and the sauce clings to it.
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Finish with methi and cream
1 colher (sopa) kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)100 ml double creamCrush the kasuri methi between your palms over the pan and stir in the cream. Heat for 1–2 minutes over low heat without letting it boil.
Está pronto quando The sauce turns a paler orange with swirls of cream and smells of fenugreek, a little like maple and celery.
Dica Boiling after the cream goes in can split the sauce.
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Taste and serve
a gosto fresh coriander leavesTaste and adjust with a pinch of salt or sugar. Scatter with coriander leaves and serve.
Está pronto quando The sauce is rich and buttery, gently warm rather than hot, with a light tang from the tomatoes.
Erros comuns
The sauce tastes sour and raw.
Solução The tomatoes were not cooked long enough. Simmer until red oil pools at the edges, and balance with the sugar before adding the cream.
The chicken is pale and tastes boiled.
Solução It was crowded or the oven was not hot enough. Roast in a single layer at 240 °C until the edges char.
The chicken is dry and stringy.
Solução Breast was used, or it simmered too long. Use thighs and add them to the sauce only for the last 5 minutes.
The sauce is grainy.
Solução The cashews were not soaked or not blended long enough. Soak them, blend for at least a full minute, and sieve if needed.
Como servir
Serve hot with basmati rice, butter naan or roti, and sliced red onion with a squeeze of lemon. A cucumber raita and a simple dal round out the meal.
Conservação e reaquecimento
Keeps 3 days in the fridge in a covered container, cooled within 2 hours. Freezes for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water until it reaches 74 °C right through; do not boil.
Adiante o preparo
Marinate the chicken the day before. The sauce can be made up to step 8 two days ahead; reheat it, then roast the chicken and finish from step 9.
Variações
Paneer makhani
Replace the chicken with 600 g of paneer cut into cubes, marinated for 30 minutes and roasted for 8–10 minutes. Simmer in the sauce for only 2 minutes so it stays soft.
Nut-free
Leave out the cashews and use 2 tablespoons of melon seeds or simply 50 ml more cream. The sauce is slightly thinner.
Grilled over charcoal
Thread the marinated pieces onto skewers and grill over hot coals for 10–12 minutes, turning, until 74 °C inside. This is closest to the tandoor flavour.
