One of the most popular Indian dishes, this Murgh Makhani recipe, or Butter Chicken, is bursting with flavour. This one however, has a healthy twist! Similar to its cousin, Chicken Tikka Masala, but with a creamier sauce and still packed with flavour from a wonderful blend of spices.
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What is Murgh Makhani?
Murgh Makhani or Butter Chicken, is a dish that originated in the Indian subcontinent as recently as 1948. It is chunks of chicken in a mildly spiced tomato sauce.
Makhani is a Hindi word which translates as "with butter". Sometimes this dish is called chicken makhani.
Why You Will Love It
- A lighter curry dish
- Mild spices so good for kids
- Easy to adapt with butter or yogurt
- Cheaper (and quicker) than ordering takeout
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken - We used chicken breasts to keep this nice and lean, but you could swap it for boneless and skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. This would change the nutritional information though.
- Chopped tomatoes - Try to use the best quality tomatoes that you can, as you really will be able to taste the difference. Cheap tomatoes are really watery and you won't get the same delicious thick sauce.
- Onion - We used a standard brown onion, but you could swap it for shallots for a sweeter flavour.
- Garlic and Ginger - This is the base of any good curry. Fresh is always best, but you could save some time and use some garlic and ginger paste. If using fresh ginger, did you know you can use a teaspoon to peel it really quickly!
- Yogurt - A little low fat yogurt adds lots of creaminess to this curry, without using butter. This is our healthier version, which is why we have used yogurt.
- Cardamom, Bay leaves, Cumin seeds and cloves
- Chilli powder and Garam masala
- Fresh coriander (cilantro)
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: In a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic and ginger with a little oil and a pinch of rock salt.
- Step 2: Heat some oil in a pan and add the chicken chunks. Cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the onion until cooked, about 5 minutes.
- Step 4: Add the garlic/ginger paste and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute.
- Step 5: Add the tomatoes, cardamom, bay leaf, cloves and cumin seeds. Cook for for 10 minutes.
- Step 6: Add the Garam Masala and Chilli powder, cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Step 7: Remove from the heat and remove the cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. Very slowly add the yogurt and stir until mixed together.
- Step 8: Serve with rice or naan bread and sprinkle chopped coriander (cilantro) on top (optional).
Does it Actually Contain Butter?
Although this traditional Dehli curry is usually made with butter (hence the name), swapping out the butter for low fat yogurt still gives it the same creamy taste, but with lower calories and fat. It still has all of the flavours from the herbs and spices.
If you want to keep this as an authentic Murgh Makhani, cook the chicken and onions in 1.5 tablespoons of butter or ghee, instead of oil. When it comes to the step of adding the yogurt, use an extra tablespoon of butter or ghee. Cooking this way will alter the nutritional values considerably.
Serving Suggestions
Of course naan bread goes really well with a curry, so maybe try our peshwari naan. If you still want some bread, but want to save a few calories, then our Easy Homemade Flatbreads go really well too.
And obviously rice is a natural side dish for curries, so why not try our Easy Pilau Rice or Turmeric Rice?
If you want some sides to go with this curry, then why not try our easy raita or our tasty cucumber salad too?
Dannii's Top Tips
- For a truly authentic Murgh Makhani, once the curry has finished cooking, stir in a teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves (sometimes called methi, or kasuri methi). Cover, and let the dish stand for 5-8 minutes.
- You can use either oil, butter or ghee to cook with and either yogurt, butter or ghee in the sauce. Or a combination of them.
- Alter the amount of chilli powder depending how hot you like your curries.
More Chicken Curries
If you've tried this butter chicken recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil - for the chicken
- 300 g (10.5 oz) Chicken breast - cut into chunks
- 6 tablespoon (6 tablespoon) Low fat yogurt
- 400 g (14 oz) Chopped tomatoes - canned
- 1 (1) Onion - finely chopped
- 3 (3) Garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Fresh ginger - finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Olive oil - for the paste
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 3 (3) Cardamom pods
- 3 (3) Cloves
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Chilli powder
- 1 (1) Bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) Fresh coriander (cilantro) - chopped
Instructions
- In a pestle and mortar, crush 3 Garlic clove and 1 tablespoon Fresh ginger with1 tablespoon Olive oil and 1 pinch Sea salt.
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a pan and add 300 g Chicken breast. Cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes.
- Add 1 Onion until cooked, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic/ginger paste and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute.
- Add 400 g Chopped tomatoes, 3 Cardamom pods, 1 Bay leaf, 3 Cloves and1 teaspoon Cumin seeds. Cook for for 10 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon Garam masala and 1 teaspoon Chilli powder, cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and remove the cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. Very slowly add 6 tablespoon Low fat yogurt and stir until mixed together.
- Serve with rice or naan bread and sprinkle 2 tablespoon Fresh coriander (cilantro) on top (optional).
Recipe Tips
- For a truly authentic Murgh Makhani, once the curry has finished cooking, stir in a teaspoon of dried funugreek leaves (sometimes called methi, or kasuri methi). Cover, and let the dish stand for 5-8 minutes.
- You can use either oil or butter to cook with and either yogurt or butter in the sauce. Or a combination of either.
- Alter the amount of chilli powder depending how hot you like your curries.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Abhinav says
such a wonderful recipe ever made. I tried this recipe at home and my family member loves this recipe.
Anna @AnnaTheApple says
Sounds tasty. I've never had butter chicken before but I love a chicken balti. And cauliflower rice is great but such a faff I find.
Dannii says
Do you think? I think it is just the same as making mashed potatoes. You can also shred the raw cauliflower in a food processor and then cook it in the microwave - much quicker that way.
Mary says
I've not heard of cauliflower rice before. That's a great tip! :)
Dannii says
It was a bit of a revelation when I tried it.
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes says
I have a slow cooked butter chicken recipe that I make, so yummy!
Dannii says
I haven't tried mine in the slow cooker yet, but I will do as I love my slow cooker - saves so much time.
Ruby says
This sound delicious. I'm pescatarian so would have to swap it for Quorn or veg. I keep hearing about cauliflower rice. I need to try it. X
Dannii says
You should definitely try it - it is a really good substitution.
Rita says
We made this for dinner tonight (I went shopping as soon as I saw you post this) and we all loved it! Thank you so much for sharing recipes that all my family enjoy. It makes staying healthy even easier.
Dannii says
Yay! I am glad you all like it. I try to come up with recipes that will suit all tastes, or at least can be adapted to suit different tastes.
Jessica says
Unfortunately I'm vegetarian but this sounds like it could be great made with Quorn :)
Dannii says
We don't always eat meat meals and will often swap the chicken for aubergine and mushrooms instead.
gail says
I need this dish pleaseeee <3
Dannii says
Give it a go :)
Fiona says
This looks very good. Maybe a bit too much garlic for me though.
Dannii says
No such thing as too much garlic in our house ;)
Ed says
I am trying to bulk at the moment, so eating a lot of chicken. Looking for ways to liven it up a bit in a healthy way and came across this. Great idea.
Selena says
Would this work with tofu instead of chicken?
Dannii says
It would!
Gabby says
I have pinned this to make next week.
I just want to say that I really enjoy your recipes. I made your healthy chocolate bars last week and they were so good. I eat a lot of chocolate, but knowing this was a lot better for me really helped. I look forward to trying more of your recipes xx
Dannii says
Thank you :) I am really glad you are enjoying all my recipes.
Vicky says
I am going to make this, but without the chilli as I find pepper too spicy for me. But I enjoy all the other flavours.
Dannii says
I also find that if something is too spicy, I add some yoghurt to cool it down.
Lucy says
I have just added this to my meal plan for next week. Looking forward to trying it :)
Dannii says
Enjoy!