Murgh Makhani or Butter Chicken Recipe (video)

[Saviolo]

I have a weakness for Indian food. I will continue to eat well past the point that I am full and always end up hurting myself, but I just love it so much. Butter chicken is one of my very favourite Indian dishes, and it's surprisingly easy to make at home. This is one of those recipes where everyone has their own method and different spice blends and substitutions. Some people use cream, some yogurt. Some people use almond flour, some cashew flour. Don't be afraid to experiment and shift things around. It's traditionally a mild curry, but we like to spice it up with a little bit of dried hot pepper mixed in with our other whole spices.

You definitely want to toast the whole spices a little before you blend them up, because it really wakes up the flavour quite nicely. For the onions (and shallots if you decide to add shallots!), you want to make sure you're cooking them over a medium low heat. You don't really want to sear them, you're just trying to caramelize them very slowly without getting a whole lot of sear on the outside. This is a low and slow recipe, and does take some time to cook, but is definitely worth it for the flavour!

[Kali]

1. what is the purpose of nut flour?

isn't it gritty or pasty?

[Saviolo]

2. It's a thickening agent!

The nut flour really helps the gravy to thicken a little. It doesn't have a gritty texture once it's been briefly cooked in the dish, and helps bind everything together and gives it that rich texture.

It's similar to using a roux in French cuisine or masa flour in Latin American cuisine.

[Kali]

3. I kind of figured it might be it, but didn't see it in other recipes

I have found with a lot of central and southern Asian recipes just cooking down those onions is the perfect thickener.

[Saviolo]

4. Yeah, it's certainly not the only way to get body in the dish.

Some recipes don't use it at all, but we find that we like to use it if we have it on hand. Curries have an incredible amount of variation from region to region and even from family to family. Changing up the spice mixture, using cream instead of yogurt, changing the nut flour or leaving it out entirely; they're all completely valid ways to make the dish.

[Kali]

5. I was watching some Mexican mole recipes recently

kind of reminded me of that. (speaking of rich and complex!)

[Saviolo]

9. We're thinking of doing a mole recipe soon!

Closest we got so far was a recipe for chicken pepian, which is a very similar style of dish, but a little less complex (and does not typically include the cocoa).

[trof]

6. We just discovered butter chicken a couple of years ago.

We just use a packet mix.
Quick and easy, but probably not quite as good.
Love it.

[trof]

7. Is there a substitute for cilantro?

That's probably a stupid question.
I'm one of those people who is genetically repulsed by cilantro.
To me it tastes like when I was a kid and got a nose full of water in an overchlorinated pool.

[Saviolo]

8. You can use Italian parsley

It's not really the same flavour profile, but there isn't anything that has exactly cilantro's flavour profile. Other things that would go well (but also have different flavour profiles) would be chervil or Thai basil.

[Retrograde]

10. I love butter chicken, but

when I made it, I realized how much cream and butter went into it! Maybe someday the local Indian restaurants will have their buffets again so I can have a small serving.

There's also a dal makhani, which I have yet to try making.