Murg Makhani/ Butter Chicken

This is my first guest recipe, made by none other than my partner in crime/eating/cooking "Aswin". Its been quite sometime he's been wanting to make butter chicken. After a lot of research he finally made it the other day, and it goes without saying it was "MAGICAL".

So here I'm sharing Aswin's recipe made specially for me (wink!!)

Murg Makhani / Butter chicken.

PREP TIME	COOK TIME	TOTAL TIME
6 hrs	1 hr 10 mins	7 Hrs10 mins

Serves:-  5-6
INGREDIENTS:-
First marinade:

• Chicken -  800 grams boneless cut into pieces
• Kashmiri red chilli powder - 2 tbsp (you can add or reduce according to how spicy you want
• Lemon Juice -  1 full lime 
• Salt - to taste

For the marinade: 

• Yogurt - 1cup
• Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
• Red chilli powder -  add if required
• Garam masala powder - 1/4th tbsp
• Tandoori Masala - 1/2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - for brushing

For Makhani gravy:

• Tomatoes - 12 chopped
• Onion - 1 chopped
• Butter - 4 tbsp
• Green Cardamoms - 4
• Cinnamon- 3 small sticks
• Bay leaf - 1
• Ginger paste - 1 tsp
• Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Roasted and crushed dried fenugreek (Kasoori Methi) - 1/2 tbsp
• Fresh cream - 3 and 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing

METHOD:- 

•  First clean and cut the chicken into pieces and then pierce the fork into each chicken piece making holes like you see in the video below.

• Now place all the chicken pieces in one bowl and add Kashmiri red chilli powder, salt and lime juice. Marinate it well and keep this refrigerated for 5-6 hrs.
  
  
• After 5-6 hrs take the chicken out from the refrigerator and add thick yogurt, ginger garlic paste, garam masla and tandoori masala. Mix all this and keep aside for 1- 2 hrs. Pre heat the oven to 400 F to grill the chicken pieces.
  
• After that take all the tomatoes and onion, and chop them and put them in the blender and make a puree.
  
• In a heavy bottom pan, heat the butter and add cardamom, cinamon sticks and bay leaf.
• Add ginger garlic paste and let it cook for a minute.
  
• Then add the tomato and onion puree and cook till oil starts leaving the mixture.
  
• Meanwhile thread the chicken into the skewers and place them in the oven, brush some oil on the chicken and let it cook for 20 - 25 mins.
  
• After that take a pan and roast the dried fenugreek leaves on medium heat and crush them in the mixer and keep it aside.
  
  
• Once the chicken is cooked take it out on a plate and cut each piece into half like I've shown in the picture.
  
• Once the oil leave the onion tomato mixture add red chilli powder and salt and mix well.
  
• Then add the fresh cream and stir it well.
  
• After that add water is required if you prefer thin gravy.
• Then add the chicken pieces and cook for 5 mins in the gravy over medium flame till the chicken blends and absorbs the flavour in the gravy well.
  
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it hot with phulkas, rotis or naan.