Butter Chicken Recipe (Murgh Makhani) - Pai's Kitchen!

[@PailinsKitchen]

HELLO LOVELY VIEWERS! Important Note: If you have questions about this recipe, you can post it here for the community to answer. But if you want to ask me, please get in touch via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or my website (all links are in the description above). If you leave questions in the comments I may not see them due to the large volume of comments I receive across the hundreds of videos on this channel. Also, before sending on any questions be sure to read the written recipe on the website as I often add extra tips and notes not covered in the video. Thank you for watching!

[@nardoskaros4434]

Pailin's Kitchen, hello the rack to cook the chicken is great idea! Where do I buy and what’s it call ?:) Please respond.

[@transporternr1849]

You are one cool master chef

[@gendaminoru3195]

I'm in love. and the foods pretty nice too :)

[@jamesavdelis6610]

Going to try it, soon as I get the spice that I don't have (cardamom).

[@gabzscooking8131]

kashmiri chili powder gives more colour than heat to dishes

[@susangarland6869]

Hey Pai, you just got a mention by Mandy (Souped Up Recipes) on her Chicken and Broccoli video. She was very complimentary of you and your channel. She's a relatively new, Chinese home cook who's absolutely adorable. You two, along with Chef John at Food Wishes, are my favorite KZbin foodies.

[@poojadevdhar]

Best Non-Punjabi rendition for Butter chicken! I love how you didn’t miss the Kasturi methi!

[@pleseem]

naan-punjabi

[@midlifemom5829]

Curious, what is Punjabi rendition? I would like to make that version

[@CardboardBoxed]

@@midlifemom5829 Butter chicken (the masala/base) originated in Punjab (they say north India, but it’s not accurate) and was traditional prepared with paneer (a type of cheese) instead of chicken. Chicken was then added and it became butter chicken. The punjabi variant usually has slightly more spice, but they incorporate butter at the end (that’s why it’s called butter chicken) which mellows the spices making it more mild overall.

[@susantipujaswati]

I made this recipe, and the taste exactly when I ate in India, my kids love it!! Thank you for the great recipe.

[@pigmango]

I made this today. I used evaporated milk instead of cream. Im so glad I had Kasoori Methi. It makes it taste authentic. Perfect!

[@adolfohernandez3395]

Pai, I just love everything about you; your smile, your knowledge, the way you teach, and how encouraged I feel after watching you cook anything and everything.

[@savitrirajaram2476]

Looking very tastey like the way you prepare it. Will try it. Thanks for sharing.

[@putriangel1]

My favorite Indian dish! I too think it must be complicated!!! Thanks for sharing!! Can’t wait to try it in my kitchen!!

[@MrTwangstaable]

A couple of things about the chicken part, the yoghurt should be hung in a cloth to separate the water so that it's concentrated. The other thing you missed out is a bit of mustard oil in the marinade, this is very essential for a good tandoori chicken. The last thing is you can add half a teaspoon of carom seeds and dried fenugreek leaves crushed. Oh, and a bit of lemon juice, that's important too. That would be a complete tandoori masala :) For the "curry" bit you should fry your ginger garlic first, once the rawness has completely gone, then add half a cup of yoghurt with additional spices (coriander seed powder, cumin seed powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder of choice, etc but no garam masala yet). The oil must separate completely after the yoghurt is cooked. Then you add your tomato puree. This sequence is standard fare in almost all Indian cooking. Different dishes change the order around but they all are separated in a sequence. After all this simmers for a bit, add the grilled chicken, salt, a tiny bit of nutmeg grated and a tiny bit of mace, and some sugar. Simmer for a bit and then a little garam masala, simmer again and then add the fenugreek dry leaf crushed. For restaurant quality, add a drop of "kewra" essence and simmer for a few mins. Be very careful with Kewra essence, not more than a drop, if it's not a concentrate and it's kwera water version, half a teaspoon is good, it's a very subtle thing. You got most of it right. There is no one way to do it; everybody does it slightly differently. This recipe doesn't need onions, that would make it more of a regular curry, the thing about butter chicken is the tomato korma thing. But if you do add onions you must caramelize the onions by frying between the ginger/garlic and yoghurt stage. I just described one of my versions, I hope you don't mind :) Love your channel, I've learned a lot for you, I love when the host explains things well. A trick to make this recipe insanely good is to smoke it. Burn a two inch piece of coal to the point is glowing red inside, then place it on the fully cooked curry directly and pour two tablespoons of ghee or butter over the coal directly, it'll start to smoke, cover it immediately with an airtight lid, put a weight on it and let it sit for 20 mins. Remove the coal before serving, mix the oil in well with the gravy :) Another thing you can do to increase the richness of the gravy beside cream is to put in some smooth cashew paste between the yoghurt and tomato puree. Best to soak the whole cashews, a fist full will do, in hot water before chopping and then grind it to a paste. Apologies about the long post; but there's there are endless options :)

[@bollyking]

Put those onions too with the chicken in the oven so they can caramelize and get sweet naturally and than puree them with the tomatoes, ginger and garlic. That will eliminate the need for adding brown sugar. We Indians never add sugar, we let the onions bring sweetness to the party.

[@spookydooky1117]

I love you...pai

[@richardjacobson5236]

what about jagari (not in this dish) but others

[@TootaMagoota]

Did someone say Party?

[@mubarakkaz617]

Richard Jacobson jaggery is mainly added in Karnataka part of South India nd they are the ones who jaggery for every thing (Just Don’t like it) their sambar is sweet when compared to others like I’m from Tamil Nadu nd our Sambar is spicy and more savoury ..

[@5rangtv993]

i agree Satish. Sugar is defiantly not the part of this dish but she might have learned from a restaurant where the do add sugar to control of spiceness becouse some of their customers can't handle strongness of INDIAN spices. She did a good job though.

[@annatruong1994]

Pai, I love your cheerful character when you cook, I swear I can just turn on your channel every time I cook, so vibrant and happy :D

[@KBTCaseyFlynn]

Broiling chicken and saving the juices is brilliant. Will use in my other chicken recipes.

[@siva992]

As an Indian who lacks ideas on what to cook for dinner, I often find ideas off your channel and this time... Hands down, you cooked a dish from my culture that I don't know how to cook it myself so, thank you for sharing the recipe.

[@Apollo_Blaze]

I love this...and what a pleasant and fun video to watch...I have to make this....Thank you!

[@sadohrs8431]

Hi, Pailin! I have made this for our dinner last night. Our family loves Butter Chicken and we always order this from our fave restaurant. The list of ingredients is very long but it's not really hard to cook. Five stars! Very very delicious! I have added fresh cilantro before serving! So perfect with basmati rice! Very authentic tasting! Thank you for posting!

[@kjgomes]

Probably one of the best Butter Chicken recipes online, definitely the best one not made by an Indian chef, and better than even some Indian videos. I won't give you any suggestions! You are entitled to be the boss of your own recipe. You nailed all the authentic ingredients though, especially the dried fenugreek.

[@abc_cba]

Thank you for celebrating the Asian culture by preparing another Indian dish. Your recipe had a secret most cooks won't tell - "Kasuri Methi" / Dried fenugreek powder. I use only 1 tsp in any curry I prepare and it distinctly changes the flavour of any curry without ever being known . It changes the flavour of any curry and it's pretty cheap. The reason why I subscribed you was because of the simplest way you teach just anything with adequate information wherever necessary. Thanks a lot. I will tell you another secret to give it a punch. Burn a coal ,put it in a small metal bowl , pour a tsp of clarified butter on the burning coal and it will smoke out , just place this smoke on the prepared butter chicken curry for a minute and cover the lid (make sure that the curry and the metal bowl are separated and that the coal doesn't mix in the curry . This will give a smoky flavour to the curry and yeah , add in cinnamon powder in the marinade ,that's another secret most people don't know about

[@nette49]

So OK! I just today found you! I’m an not at all Asian, not even one iota! I am almost pure Acadian/Cajun French descent. I am from and still live in southeast Louisiana. But! I do some traveling and love all kinds of Asian foods! I just a few years ago had my first Thai food! I was visiting my daughter and her family in Santa Barbara, CA and she took me to a Thai restaurant. OMG! She ordered for me and everything was so good and fresh tasting. I am loving this recipe so I will try it. Who is your favorite Southern cook/chef? Mine is the Cajun Ninja and Charlie Andrews on You Tube. And of course I love Paula Deen! And now you are on my favorite list! You explain so well!

[@joethebar1]

I’ve made this around four times. I do caramelize the onions though. It’s the best butter chicken I’ve ever had and friends agree. It takes a bit of time but it’s outstanding

[@shajithomas8050]

Well done!! As a chef from India I liked the way of your cooking,wonderful..when we make the better chicken we add usually the cashew nut paste also,,but you simplified it ,great job

[@spade_queen2258]

I’m making this dish now, the chicken is marinating, can’t wait to see how it turns out. This recipe is very nice to follow.

[@mohitchaudhary9423]

So did you make it how was it

[@ponamahnaidu1752]

Simple n yummy butter chicken tq I'm going to try it

[@nigarafandiyeva1190]

The best butter chicken recepy I came across. Thank you! You also have the most cheerful and positive personality. Very enjoyable! 😊

[@vuhuynh5150]

Pai, thank you very much for the great recipe. My children love butter chicken with naan as they have become our weekly or biweekly dinner. Much is appreciated!

[@winnietang5409]

I made this tonight and it is unbelievable delicious. I have tried different recipes but they were not the taste I was after so I gave up until I found hot thai kitchen's recipe. Thank you so much for making my day. It will definitely be my weekly meal menu.

[@herbs4492]

Greetings from Toronto. I have made this dish several times now . It's a very popular dish for my family and our friends. Your a very good chef with great instructions . Thank you .

[@brentsorrentino4862]

Wow this is seriously delicious! I’ve been cooking various Indian curries for many years, but butter chicken always eluded me. I tried recipe after recipe, disappointed every time... until now! This is like the rich, saucy, flavorful butter chicken I’ve had in good Indian restaurants. Try this and you’ll see!

[@nancyglover1824]

Super delish! It came out to be mild to moderately spicey with all the cayenne. Yum!

[@ghrayo]

Everyone has it own recipe, but when I do chicken tikka masala or butter chicken I marinate the chicken with fennel seeds, it's delicious and nobody (in Chile) can tell what's that secret flavor

[@cpmow831]

you should've seen my face when I saw this in queue. This is my favorite Indian Dish!

[@mampuful]

Yum 😋 One thing I would like to mention, dried tarragon can also be added if fenugreek leaves aren’t available. It’s definitely not the perfect replacement but it’s the closest one. I have tried it. 🙂

[@PailinsKitchen]

Good idea! Thanks for sharing!

[@heiftonheifton9412]

Hi,watch your show very occasionally ....that doesn't mean u r not a good chef.....you really are pretty and sweet face ,.......having u as wife am sure your husband doesn't need any dessert.......god almighty bless u, ur husband.....and respective families....take care .... specially of ur man.....don't make him diabetic.😉since u r 2oooooo sweet......bye

[@Mohamedmifxal]

You can add a pinch of dried oregano and thyme for similar umami fragrance.

[@chuckciao1]

Pai, you are the sweetest Asian cook with the greatest personality going on KZbin. Thanks for the wonderful recipe and am excited to try it!

[@juveriyajirjis2726]

Wow...seems so yummy... I liked ur cute single gas burner stove...u r too sweet n also ur presentation..grt God bless u

[@isabella-dy6nm]

Everybody loves the butter chicken and loved how you prepared the dish. Just wanted to let you know that we r not using whipping cream, we r using fresh cream, and it's thicker, ... Love your videos. Love from India.

[@SBinVancouver]

This is one of the tastiest things I have EVER made. I did it for a non-profit I support here in Vancouver, 7kg boneless/skinless chix thigh, no salamander or broiler so I marinated them overnight, browned them on a flattop, scraping all the wonderful flavour bits. Served with Dal with Spinach, and Channa Masala, basmati rice (also baked). Aroi maak!

[@yasminas83]

I am Indian and you did complete justice!!! Loved it

[@dianishere]

I tried to make one 7 yrs ago, following instructions from some authentic indian chef, who asked to even use fresg tomato. But the result was mehh. (Maybe i was not as skilled in cooking as nowadays?) But i just made this today for dinner.. and even though i forgot to grill the chicken (simply throw it to the sauce:p ) and forgot to blend the onion ginger garlic.. hence the appearance is not as smooth and beautiful.. , and i dont have fenugreek leaves... but despite all that, the taste was perrrfecttt!! Thank you Pai!!! I will definitely keep this!

[@winniekong4506]

I trust your recipes more than the others'. You are a great chef.

[@RR-zj6dk]

I love Indian and Thai cuisine. Nice recipe. I will try but using ghee instead of butter.

[@harshith.aj9920]

Hi Pai. I substituted cream with yogurt and used whole ingredients for garam masala instead of powdered one. Also made saffron rice. The contrast of bright yellow rice and the orange butter chicken is really amazing.

[@chandra11116]

Wow, u really added an extra dimension to the classic dish !!! Liked the broiling part.... Thx

[@aniljoshi948]

Your love of cooking is really infectious! Love your show and your recipes. We love Thai cuisine. My younger daughter and I have been trying out your recipes, especially chicken ones for a while. Last week we made pork dumplings following your recipe and it came out so well- no more buying dumplings! Being a Indian dad who loves cooking, I was pleasantly surprised to see you cooking Butter Chicken! I have been making this dish for my two daughters from scratch, for years and yes, like most Indians households I make my own Garam masala too! I guess no two Indian families have the same Garam masala, it’s as unique as the finger prints 😂. I really liked your recipe a lot … Oh! Well, it’s hard to admit, but much better than mine! I really liked the idea of adding extra water to the pan to recover the drippings for the gravy. And adding Kasuri methi! I have a jar full of it in my painterly … why didn’t I think of it, it would be delicious! Yes! A+ for pronouncing ‘Garam masala’, ‘Kashmiri Mitch’ and ‘Kasuri Methi’ … like a typical North Indian! Oh, well after all it’s a North Indian dish 😂 Thank you, itching to try your ideas into my favorite dish to cook! Thank You ❤ Happy Holidays, all!

[@terryyonashiro3735]

Pailin, Like your enthusiasm and energy when you cook. Thank you for your explanation on the Indian spices and the cooking technique for this dish. Chicken thighs are my favorite because it is very moist.

[@bartlett454]

Lovely, delicious dish. You are an excellent teacher and, I'll admit, I really like the bloopers at the end of the video. LOL!

[@marcbe5121]

I have to say it again. I love it. the perfekt butter Chicken. Made this recipe the 5th time. Me and my family love it!!. Greetings from GERMANY!!

[@iwouldbechelsea]

I've never had this dish before but it kind of makes me want to try it now that I know what's in it lol. I love how accessible you make these dishes to those of us who are unfamiliar with new culture's foods.

[@soisoi26]

I love Indian food!!!

[@kalilove8153]

Yum!! Always loved butter chicken but always thought it was too complicated to try and make. After watching your tutorial I think I can try it! Thanks Pai!

[@grant575mixmaster]

I love your imperfect (only a little) presentations Pailin, little mistakes make your videos so much more relatable than clean over edited factory output.

[@cookingwithmrsjahan]

Your butter chicken looks delicious very yummy 😋

[@aniljoshi948]

Looking Absolutely Delicious, Thank You!

[@Bishnu_Deb]

*Nice to see Pai cooks Indian dish.*

[@taneenartmaceri7281]

Made it last night. Super delicious!! Thank you, Pai : )

[@suchartboontid2560]

I live in small town Thailand so didn't even begin to think about what fenugreek is, let alone if I could find it, but I tried to make this anyway. And I was not disappointed cause it was so delicious! Usually whipping cream is expensive here but they sold the expiring stuff for cheap at Makro and I was lucky enough to get a carton that I had to use within 2 days. The rest was easy enough to get. Also, I cut my chicken too small so they kept falling into the water below so I just moved them from the rack to a pan to broil and deglaze the pan w/ water on the stove after. And the tomato sauce spattered a lot when it thickened and that shit hurts but hey no pain no gain(ing weight from this fatty curry.) Great recipe. Will definitely make again next time the heavy cream is on sale. Thanks, Pai.

[@nibeditamohapatra1697]

you nailed butter chicken....love from India 🥰

[@criticalmass613]

Great explanations. Thanks for making this vid!

[@rlsmahatmagandhi3279]

I love your mood and your emotional expresions, all of them. Congrats and thank you for your recipes.

[@yeehan23]

Made this today. Loved it.

[@terriclay6726]

Thank you Pailin , I love watching your channel So pleasant to watch you. Tonight I tried to cook your Thai fried banana, it was delicious. Thank you again. God bless you. ♥️🙏🏼

[@reemathomas711]

If you add few cashew nuts along with puree, the sauce becomes even more delicious ☺️☺️☺️ ,also I love seeing n trying all your recipes❤️

[@annamay1089]

And she's back!!!!! Im so happy :) will try this one

[@tribecca4578]

Cute and entertaining, Food Network worthy.

[@cynthiahawkins2142]

Pai, this was a very good video. I really appreciated your tips, such as adding water to the pan when roasting. I usually roast Italian sausage links and the juice from the links burn and smell up the whole place, so next time I plan to add some water to help.

[@chacaloso361]

I was waiting for a splash of fish sauce just because lol looks amazing as always!!

[@jeffyin6376]

That chicken marinate looks delicious!

[@smokeygils]

Absolutely the best Butter Chicken I have had! Thank you for this and all of your recipes.

[@sharonparker7697]

This recipe is perfect. I used to spend $120 for a delivery for my family of 5 adults, now $20 and so much better than delivery.

[@puppylover8383]

Thanks for making this dish!! Being Indian even I do not know how to make it. You can also make it with paneer. Very authentic!!

[@Bourbon-Guitar]

Made this 3 times. Absolutely wonderful!!!

[@chell5010]

always so methodical wow!

[@nihavd]

Looks yum! Catching the drippings from the grilled chicken was an ace move! Suggestion: You can blend the onions separately and brown them a little to bring out their natural sweetness before adding the ginger-garlic paste and the tomato puree. That way you need to add less sugar (which is added just to balance the acidity from the tomatoes - butter chicken in the west tends to be a little too sweet because of the added sugar). Adding slit green chilies at the end and covering the pot for a good couple of minutes also allows the gravy to be infused with the flavour of the green chillies but without the associated heat. Some people cook it in ghee and add (large) dollops of butter at the end as well. But this is definitely a heart-healthy version of the dish, compared to what you would get at a punjabi dhaba! lol!

[@PailinsKitchen]

Thanks for all your suggestions!

[@nihavd]

wow! you replied :)

[@mukundpadmanabhan9572]

That's really nice, so much like how we Indians make it! You can also try adding honey instead of sugar and if you add some nutmeg, it'll give a unique flavor

[@vivianmendoza6802]

Hi Ms. Pai! So thankful that I learned from you! I did it! My butter chicken! Thank you!

[@arshadshamim2141]

I am ur great fan pailin.....plz cook more Indian dishes.....lots of love from India ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@gavrillourie3759]

this is a wonderful recipe, even without the garam marsala ...but you have inspired me to order the GM

[@TheSingbird123]

Just made it tonight, and it is delicious!

[@tibbs4000]

curries are always best the next day! yummmm

[@DrAbKaN]

Very great recipe, the best on KZbin ❤️🙏.... I would skip the sugar... not one of those who add sugar on a tomato based dish, thats will keep the natural acidity from the tomatoes and no need for the lemon 👍🏻👍🏻

[@Nikhilshinde333]

I love butter chicken! I don't miss your episode pai. Explanation - hmm hmm Delicious!

[@joannastewart2968]

Yummy yummy

[@xXrosesngunsXx]

thank u for this simple recipe!

[@adamnealis]

I like the idea of leaving it overnight. Curry for breakfast is yummy!

[@maikoliverschramm5703]

Pai, for me you are the best, I love the way you describe everything. Never ever stop :) I love all of your recipes .... Greeting from Jakarta

[@Peter-cm8vi]

wow. Looks yummy

[@redrockcrf4663]

I'm somewhat confused - typically in any Indian curry, the garlic and onion are fried prior to adding the tomato - no? I like the comment down the thread of throwing the onion in the oven with the chicken: not only sweet, but a bit smokey.

[@marcpanther7924]

How do you stay so fit with so many good food around?

[@FirefoxisredExplorerisblueGoog]

Don't eat too much and go to the gym.

[@swatiarora518]

Hi Pailin, great recipe! Just a suggestion, we usually don't combine dairy with citric in Indian food (dairy can spoil). For the sour taste, I'd add dry mango powder (Aamchur powder in Hindi). It packs a punch and can be used in many dishes to make it just a little extra sour. Moreover, it can be stored longer than lemons :)

[@candyberried]

Swati Arora 85 it's her recipe. Do what you want on your KZbin channel. Oh wait you suck and you dont have a cooking channel LOL

[@sanjubaba3996]

candyberried she is just suggesting man.

[@swatiarora518]

ss g just a suggestion, you're right ss g! Every recipe can be adjusted to what's available to you candyberried, I'd love for everyone to be able to make this stuff. No need to be rude here :)

[@ghrayo]

I saw a lot of Indian recipe that add lemon to the yogurt marinate. I stop doing it because lemons when crazy expensive... Glad to know I don't need it 😅

[@swatiarora518]

Gonzalo Rayo that's probably possible because they would want to develop a sour flavor. You probably want to keep a marinade from going too runny so try substituting the lemon with dry mango powder or chaat masala (a spice mix, both available at any Indian store.

[@nahawandmassoud1239]

I made this recipe soooo delicious thanks

[@mcomuonobunde-omuono1132]

Spot on! And we have crossed the half a million subscribers mark. Milestone

[@isdits]

Hi Pai, Thanks for posting this dish. I regret scrolling through these comments looking for 1 inch of ginger measurements. Fortunately, I was able to google it. I've tried several different recipes for butter chicken and I'm looking forward to trying this one. So many negative "experts" in here. You should make more Indian dishes just to irritate them. You don't seem like the type that would do that, but you are an artist. And artist are sensitive to their craft, so there's a slight chance...Do a mango dish with oranges instead. That will piss them off. Keep them coming!

[@blessing198]

Mingle and marry chicken and sauce 😄😄😄 very well done.

[@denicagovender7785]

Love ur knowledge on Indian spices

[@UnspokenWilderness]

Made this last night and I was like 'Where's my butter chicken?' Why didn't this turn out? All morning I've been reading other recipes and watching videos. I still don't know why it was missed that butter chicken essence. Ahhh!

[@argumentfromignorance2410]

Can't believe that the KZbin algorithm had starved me from Pai's bubbly deliciousness for months and months. I have some catch up to do!

[@dlyrious13]

Instant love ... been looking for a recipe ... now that you have one, i have one i can trust to be yummy!! Whoop Whoop!!

[@peterstang]

This spicy and creamy Indian dish is lovely. Though a little complicated with the various spices, I think I'm gonna try it someday.

[@Onoma314]

I like your grilling step, it's a twist from the usual recipes A few suggestions: ~ Coconut milk instead of heavy cream ( just not cheap stuff bound with guar gum, it breaks ) ~ Usually some butter is stirred in at the end as a liaison in the sauce ~ I tend to use tamarind-date chutney to round out the flavors, instead of things like lemon juice and brown or white sugar, although I do use jaggery in my tamarind chutney ~ Methi ( fenugreek ) is very easy to grow ( Plus the fresh greens are tasty ) kasoori methi ( dried ) is often old, flat and stale ~ I make large batches of the sauce, portion and freeze ( saves on prep time for dinner ) Cheers, happy eating !

[@PailinsKitchen]

Thanks for all your suggestions!

[@Onoma314]

Thanks for all the great videos

[@VSM101]

THAT'S ACTUALLY HOW ITS MADE IN SOUTH INDIA

[@yucravechina]

Smart tip to add a little water in the baking pan to collect drippings, used to avoid using oven for meats bc of that.

[@yucravechina]

"I cant be bothered" omg, i love you.

[@pabs4903]

Pailin, Your videos are very engaging and you are extremely likable on screen!! Keep it up!!

[@donwaldeck6753]

You are extremely inspiring, i have been watching your shows this month and adapting some of your ingredients and technique at home, cheers

[@vickys8855]

I like her …she keeps it real