How to make Butter Chicken I North Indian Restaurant I The Mango Tree

Butter chicken hails from northern India, where it’s known as murgh makhani. It was first created in Delhi in the 1950s, when restaurant owner Kundan Lal Gujral realized he could revive his drying-out tandoori chicken by immersing it in a flavorful gravy made of butter, tomato, and heavy cream. Seventy years later, butter chicken has become a classic in its own right. How to make the best sauce One of the keys to butter chicken is the makhani (butter) sauce. A great makhani sauce should be luscious in texture with a perfect blend of intense tomato flavor and warming spices. Garam masala, kashmiri chili, and cumin are king of the dried spices here, with finely chopped ginger and serrano chiles adding a backdrop of fresh heat. Dried fenugreek leaves, or kasoori methi, bring the perfect aromatic finish. These ingredients are easy to find online and in specialty Indian shops, but in a pinch, each teaspoon of kashmiri chili powder may be swapped out for 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne and 3/4 t...