Murgh makhani

Delhi's greatest accident: tandoor-roasted chicken simmered in a velvety tomato, butter, cream and spice sauce with fenugreek leaves: the dish invented at Moti Mahal restaurant in 1947 that became the most ordered Indian dish in the world

Origin: Punjab Province, British India (Peshawar)

From the journey of Tomato.

Butter chicken, murgh makhani in Hindi, is arguably the most famous Indian dish in the world, and its origin is one of the most documented culinary accidents in history. It was created in 1947 at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Daryaganj, Delhi, by Kundan Lal Gujral and later perfected by his head cook Kundan Lal Jaggi. The story: leftover tandoori chicken, already marinated and roasted in the clay oven, was simmered in a quick sauce of tomatoes, butter and cream to prevent it drying out and to create a new dish from what would otherwise have been waste. The resulting dish was revelatory: the tomato sauce provided acidity and body; the butter added richness and lustre; the cream rounded and mellowed everything; the dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) added a distinctive, slightly bitter herbal note that became the signature of the dish. Murgh makhani is not a curry in the traditional sense; it lacks the slow-fried onion base of a typical North Indian curry. The sauce is made separately, starting with tomatoes and spices, enriched with cream and butter, and blended smooth. This produces its characteristic texture: silky, vibrant orange-red, without the grainy or chunky quality of most Indian restaurant sauces. The dish spread from Delhi throughout India and then, via Indian diaspora restaurants, across the world; it is now ordered millions of times daily across every continent.

Ingredients

Chicken marinade

800 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 5cm pieces
200 g full-fat yoghurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1.5 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (for colour and mild heat)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt

Makhani sauce

60 g unsalted butter
2 tbsp neutral oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 cm fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
800 g canned chopped tomatoes
1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Finishing

150 ml double cream
30 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1.5 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed between palms

Method

Mix all marinade ingredients with the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, ideally overnight. The yoghurt tenderises and flavours the chicken; the longer it marinates, the deeper the flavour.
Grill the marinated chicken: place on a rack under a very hot broiler/grill or on a hot griddle pan, cooking for 10–12 minutes, turning halfway, until charred in spots and cooked through. The charring is important; it adds the smoky, tandoor-like quality that defines the original. Set aside.
Make the makhani sauce: melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes until golden. Add the garlic and ginger, cook 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and fry 2 minutes until darkened.
Add the canned tomatoes, all the spices, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce has thickened significantly.
Use a stick blender or transfer to a jug blender and blend the sauce completely smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve back into the pan, pushing firmly with a ladle to extract maximum sauce. Discard the solids.
Return the smooth sauce to low heat. Add the grilled chicken pieces and stir to coat. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow the chicken to absorb the sauce flavours. Add the cream, stir through, and simmer gently for 5 more minutes.
Remove from heat. Add the cold butter cubes and stir through until melted and incorporated; this is the 'makhani' finish that gives the sauce its characteristic lustre and richness. Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between your palms over the pan and stir through.
Serve with basmati rice and/or naan bread. Drizzle with a little extra cream if desired.

Notes

The two non-negotiable elements: Kashmiri red chilli powder for the correct colour and mild heat profile, and kasuri methi for the finish. Both are available at Indian grocery stores and online. Without them, you have a nice tomato cream chicken dish; but not butter chicken.

The Gastrographer

Name: Murgh makhani
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 8 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: British India
Ingredients: 800 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 5cm pieces; 200 g full-fat yoghurt; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp ginger paste; 1 tbsp garlic paste; 1.5 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (for colour and mild heat); 1 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp salt; 60 g unsalted butter; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 1 large onion, roughly chopped; 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped; 4 cm fresh ginger, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 800 g canned chopped tomatoes; 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp garam masala; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp salt; 150 ml double cream; 30 g cold unsalted butter, cubed; 1.5 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed between palms

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control