Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) Restaurant Style! - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For the Tandoori chicken marinade
500 g boneless chicken thighs or 500 g chicken breasts
1/4 cup yogurt (high fat is best)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 -2 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
5 -8 garlic cloves, crushed or 50 g garlic
3 -4 tablespoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 tablespoons oil
For the sauce
4 cinnamon sticks
5 green cardamom pods
5 cloves
2 -3 bay leaves
green chili pepper, finely diced (to taste)
750 g ripe tomatoes, chopped or 2 cups crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons fenugreek leaves
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons oil
wooden skewer (if planning to oven-bake chicken)
100 ml water (if using whole tomatoes instead of canned crushed tomatoes)

Preparation

Stage 1: Prepare the chicken and marinade (approx 4.5 hours).
Grill Method:
1. Crush/grate garlic and ginger into a paste.
2. Place chicken in a large metal or other non-porous bowl and add ginger-garlic paste.
3. Thoroughly mix the chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, and the ginger-garlic paste together (ensure the chicken is evenly coated).
4. In another bowl, mix the yogurt and 1/2 Tbsp Kashmiri chill powder with a whisk until evenly mixed 5. Add the yogurt mixture, along with 1Tbsp oil, to the bowl with the chicken and ginger-garlic paste.
6. Mix thoroughly, and then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
Oven Bake method:
1. Crush/grate garlic and ginger into a paste.
2. Cut chicken into cubes.
3. Place chicken in a large metal or other non-porous bowl and add ginger-garlic paste.
4. Thoroughly mix the chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, and the ginger-garlic paste together (ensure the chicken is evenly coated).
5. In another bowl, mix the yogurt and 1/2 Tbsp Kashmiri chill powder with a whisk until evenly mixed 6. Add the yogurt mixture, along with 1Tbsp oil, to the bowl with the chicken and ginger-garlic paste.
7. Mix thoroughly, and then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
8. Soak wooden skewers in water while chicken is marinading.
Stage 2: Grill or Oven-Bake Chicken.
Grill Method:
1. Remove chicken from refrigerator and place chicken on wax paper in a grill or BBQ safe sheet. grill or BBQ on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from grill and let cool.
3. Cut chicken into cubes, and then return chicken to refrigerator (until the sauce is ready).
4. Remove chicken from oven and let cool. Place in refrigerator until sauce is ready.
Oven-Bake Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
2. Remove chicken from refrigerator and place chicken on the wooden skewers.
3. Place skewers in a oven-proof baking dish and bake for ~20 minutes, or until chicken is almost cooked through (NOTE: you will finish cooking chicken briefly in the sauce later).
Stage 3: Prepare Makhani Sauce.
If using 750g whole tomatoes:
1. Peel and finely chop ginger.
2. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a medium saucepan on medium to medium-high heat.
3. When the oil is hot, add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and bay leaves, and stir for 2 minutes.
4. Add chopped ginger and cook for 1 minute.
5. Reduce the heat to low, add the diced green chiles and 750g tomatoes, along with 100ml water.
6. Simmer on low heat for 25 minutes.
7. Remove the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom and cloves), and then pour the sauce into a blender to puree until smooth.
8. Sieve the pureed mixture to remove any lumps, and return to saucepan.
9. Place ~2/3 of the cashews in a blender, and grind into powder. Add a SMALL amount of water, and mix into a paste.
10. Add 1 Tbsp of tomato paste, along with cashew paste to the makhani sauce (you will likely need to add a small amount of water to the blender in order to get all of the cashew paste out of the blender).
11. Add 1/2 tsp of chill powder, and 1 Tbsp honey. Stir for ~3 minutes.
12. Stir in 1/4 cup of butter, and stir until it melts.
13. Add 1/2 tsp of salt (optional), and 1 tsp fenugreek leaves, then simmer for a further 20 minutes.
14. In a large frypan, melt a small amount of butter, and add remaining 1/3 of the cashews, along with the cooked chicken. Cook for ~3 minutes on medium-high.
15. Reduce heat to low. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cashews, and then add 1/4 cup of whipping cream. Stir for ~ 3 minutes.
If using 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes:
1. Peel and finely chop ginger.
2. Heat 3 Tbsp oil on medium to medium-high heat.
3. When the oil is hot, add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and bay leaves, and stir for 2 minutes.
4. Add chopped ginger and cook for 1 minute.
5. Reduce the heat to low, add the diced green chiles and 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes.
6. Simmer on low heat for 25 minutes.
7. Remove the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom and cloves)'.
8. Place ~2/3 of the cashews in a blender, and grind into powder. Add a SMALL amount of water, and mix into a paste.
9. Add 1 Tbsp of tomato paste, along with cashew paste to the makhani sauce (you will likely need to add a small amount of water to the blender in order to get all of the cashew paste out of the blender).
10. Add 1/2 tsp of chill powder, and 1 Tbsp honey. Stir for ~3 minutes.
11. Stir in 1/4 cup of butter, and stir until it melts.
12. Add 1/2 tsp of salt (optional), and 1 tsp fenugreek leaves, then simmer for a further 20 minutes.
13. In a large frypan, melt a small amount of butter, and add remaining 1/3 of the cashews, along with the cooked chicken. Cook for ~3 minutes on medium-high.
14. Reduce heat to low. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cashews, and then add 1/4 cup of whipping cream. Stir for ~ 3 minutes.
Serve with rice and/or naan.