Butter Chicken Sauce (Murgh Makhani)

If you've never tried Butter Chicken, I think you need to.  And fairly soon.  It's one of the most delicate of curry dishes, and melts in your mouth with greatness.  GREATNESS!!  I was hooked from the first time I tried it, I can tell you that!

Butter Chicken, for us, started at the Farmer's Market here in town.  This great cook (Pam) makes the sauce in little tubs and freezes it so people like me can grab one, store it and create a terrific meal in minutes!

But you know me.  I needed to find MY own recipe!  So off I went in search of just.what makes the sauce, the sauce.  And like a good sleuth, I search many recipes and bought many spices (did you know that Indian spices are the most fragrant I've ever found??) and began to experiment.

Is it traditional?  Probably not quite.  Is it good?  You bet!!  And like any one family spaghetti recipe - Butter Chicken is personal per family, perfect per taste and really something you just NEED to try!



Butter Chicken Sauce
Makes: 7-350 ml containers (perfect to freeze)

3/4 c butter
6 c diced onion (5-6)
4 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp minced ginger
4 large tomatoes
2 litres chicken stock
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
1 156ml can tomato paste
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp turmeric powder
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 Tbsp curry powder
3 Bay leaves
1 Tbsp Garam Masala
1 tsp mustard powder
2 Tbsp Coriander seed, crushed
4 Cardamom pods (seeds crushed)
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/3 c brown sugar

1 c chopped cilantro

Begin by preparing all your vegetables.  Dice the onions into one bowl, rough chop the tomatoes into another.

Mince the garlic and ginger (you can also use a jarred product but fresh will taste better).



Using a mortar and pestle, crush all your crush-able spices.  You can use a coffee mill, if you have one specifically for spices.  Me, I prefer to mash the heck out of them by hand.  More fulfilling!

In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add onions and saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the ginger and garlic, saute for about 2 minutes more.  Be sure to stir during this time - you don't want to burn anything this early into the game!

Add all spices (except bay leaf and brown sugar), stir well and cook for 1-2 more minutes.  You can also salt/pepper your sauce at this time but I find that salt is the only requirement most of the time.

Add canned tomatoes (make sure you drain them first), tomato paste and chicken stock.  Mix well and bring to a simmer.  Then add the brown sugar and bay leaves, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves, and let the sauce cool for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a separate stainless steel frying pan over medium high heat.  When hot, add the chopped tomatoes and saute for about 3-5 minutes.  I like to add a few coriander seeds and a few fennel seeds to the tomatoes, just to give them a nice flavor.

When done, puree sauteed tomatoes in a blender or food processor.  Reserve in a separate bowl for a few minutes.

Now back to that big pot of sauce you've been working on!

Transfer about 2/3 of the sauce to a blender (you may have to do this in stages) and blend until smooth.  Or less smooth if you want a more chunky Butter Chicken sauce.  Personal preference!!

Return sauce to the stock pot over medium heat.  Add the pureed tomatoes and stir well then add the chopped cilantro.  Bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

You sauce is ready!  We have Butter Chicken  for dinner the same day we make the sauce and put the rest into containers. 

One container (about 350 ml) will make enough Butter Chicken to serve 4-6 people.  This recipe makes about 6 containers.  Steps to make the meal will follow in a later post.

Keep in mind that you've made a large batch, so you can freeze them (or share them, for a fee of course).  We've found that the sauce keeps really well once frozen and can be thawed in the fridge the night before you're going to wow your friends and family with the great taste of Butter Chicken.

Hope you enjoy my take on Butter Chicken!

--The Cook