Authentic Butter Chicken Recipe (Murgh Makhani)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons tandoori masala powder
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 0.25 cup plain yogurt
• 0.33 cup cashews
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed

Instructions

1. Gather all of your ingredients.
2. Prepare the spice mix by combining garam masala, tandoori masala, curry powder, cumin, cardamom, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl; set aside for later.
3. Place the chicken in a large bowl and add half of the spice mixture; turn the chicken to coat it evenly.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
5. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining spice mixture, garlic, lemon juice, and ginger; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Stir the tomato puree into the onion mixture and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Pour in the half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
7. Blend the cashews in a blender until they are finely ground. Add the sauce to the blender; puree until the sauce is completely smooth.
8. Pour the blended sauce over the chicken in the skillet. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.

Nutrition

• Calories: 552 kcal
• Fat Content: 38 g
• Fiber Content: 4 g
• Sugar Content: 7 g
• Sodium Content: 542 mg
• Protein Content: 33 g
• Cholesterol Content: 142 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 22 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 16 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g