Chicken Makhani - Butter Chicken recipe?

I am looking for a good butter chicken recipe. I have googled it, and all the recipes I have found are pretty different. Some appear pretty complicated! Regardless of ease, I want a good authentic recipe that you have personally tried or better yet, have made. From what I understand, the most authentic recipes have finely ground cashews (and never corn starch) and fenugreek. Anyone have any suggestions? Thank you!Chicken Makhani - Butter Chicken recipe?
I've tried this one and all my friends liked it alot. Not sure how authentic it is but I was told it tasted like from an indian restaurant





1 1/2 to 2 lbs chicken


1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder


salt to taste


1 tblsp lemon juice





For Marinade


1 cup yogurt


1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder


salt to taste


2 tblsp ginger paste


2 tblsp lemon juice


2 tblsp garlic paste


1/2 tsp garam masala powder


2 tsp mustard oil


2 tblsp butter





For Makhani Gravy


14 oz. tomato puree


3 tblsp butter


1 tsp green chillies (chopped)


1/2 tsp kasoori methi


1 cup fresh cream


1 tblsp ginger paste


1 tblsp red chilli powder


salt to taste


1 tblsp garam masala whole


1/2 tsp garam masala powder


2 tblsp sugar/ honey


1 tblsp garlic paste





Skin and clean the chicken.


Make incisions with a sharp knife on breast and leg pieces.


Apply a mixture of red chilli powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and leave aside for half an hour.


Hang the yogurt in a muslin cloth for 15-20 minutes to take off extra water.


Mix in red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala powder and mustard oil.


Apply this marinade to the chicken pieces and chill in a freezer for 3 to 4 hours.


Put the chicken onto a skewer and stir fry in a moderately hot tandoor or a preheated oven 400 F for 10-12 minutes or until almost done.


Baste it with grease and stir fry for another 2 minutes.


Take off and keep aside.


Heat up grease in a pan.


Mix in whole garam masala.


Let it crackle.


Then mix in ginger-garlic paste and cut green chillies.


Stir fry for 2 minutes.


Mix in tomato puree, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and one cup of water.


Bring to a boil.


Lower heat up and simmer (boil slowly at low temperature) for 10 minutes.


Mix in sugar or honey and powdered kasoori methi.


Mix in cooked tandoori chicken pieces.


Simmer (boil slowly at low temperature) for 5 minutes and then mix in fresh cream.Chicken Makhani - Butter Chicken recipe?
Ingredients:





1 kg boneless chicken skin removed


Juice of 1 lime


Salt to taste


1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your taste)


6 cloves


8-10 peppercorns


1'; stick of cinnamon


2 bay leaves


8-10 almonds


Seeds from 3-4 pods of cardamom


1 cup fresh yoghurt (must not be sour)


3 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil


2 onions chopped


2 tsps garlic paste


1 tsp ginger paste


2 tsps coriander powder


1 tsp cumin powder


1/4 tsp turmeric powder


1 can (400g or 14 oz) of tomato paste


1/2 litre chicken stock


2 tbsps kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)


3 tbsps unmelted, soft butter


Salt to taste


Coriander leaves to garnish








Preparation:





Mix the chicken, lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a large, non-metallic bowl. Cover and allow to marinate for 1 hour.


Heat a flat pan or griddle on medium heat and gently roast (stirring frequently) the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves and almonds till they darken slightly. Cool and add the cardamom seeds. Now grind into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.


Mix the yoghurt, above whole spice powder (from previous step), coriander, cumin and turmeric powders together and add them to the chicken. Allow to marinate for another hour.


Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. When hot, add the onions. Fry till a pale golden brown in color and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.


Add only the chicken from the chicken-spice mix and fry till sealed (chicken will turn opaque and the flesh will go from pink to whitish in color).


Now add the tomato paste, chicken stock, kasuri methi and remaining part of the yogurt-spice mix to the chicken.


Cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy is reduced to half its original volume.


Melt the butter in another small pan and then pour it over the chicken.


Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Naan and Kaali Daal.


For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavour: Heat a briquette of coal till red hot and when the dish is done, put the coal in the pan and cover immediately. Remove just before serving.
You can use ground almond buzzed in a blender with some water, even roasted cashews the same way, they use raw nuts in most cases, fenugreek is a spice that can be omitted, I have some and is hard to find in some area, I make mine with leg and thighs, and add my cream/yougart mix at the end, I also make a cornstarch slurry and mix it in the cream/yougart mix, and only allow it to come back to the simmer and shut off the heat, I use a bit of curry powder and paprika to obtain the orange colour to.





I also use crushed tomatos and grind my onions, garlic and ginger into a pulp and fry it in the ghee or oil, also I roast the chicken off while I make the sauce as it help speed up the process. Now some people like coriander on at service for me afew chopped nuts is fine.
INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN





2-3 lbs. chicken breast, 1'; cubes


1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice


1 1/2 cups plain yogurt


2 tablespoons butter


2 tablespoons chili powder


2 tablespoons garlic paste


2 tablespoons lemon juice


2 tablespoons olive oil


2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste


1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala


1 tablespoon ginger paste


1 tablespoon chopped garlic


1 tablespoon butter


1 tablespoon green chile pepper, chopped


2 cups tomato puree


salt to taste


1 cup water


1 tablespoon honey


1/2 teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves


1 cup heavy cream





Marinate chicken in a glass dish with lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator for about an hour. Pour off excess liquid from yogurt if any exists. Combine with 2 tablespoons garlic paste, 1/2 tablespoon garam masala, chili powder, salt, butter, ginger paste, olive oil and lemon juice.


Combine yogurt mixture with chicken and marinade and return to refrigerator for another few hours. Preheat oven to 400掳F.





Skewer the chicken pieces. Place skewers in a baking dish in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Chicken will be nearly cooked through.





To prepare the sauce, in a saucepan melt the butter and stir in 1 tablespoon garam masala. When the spice begins to sputter, stir in green chile peppers, and ginger. Saute 5 minutes, stirring in the garlic paste near the end (don't allow it to turn brown). Stir in tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon chili powder, salt and water. Bring up to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in the fenugreek and honey.





Put the chicken into the saucepan. Cooking over medium heat for another 5 minutes, or until chicken is tender and done. Pour in the fresh cream at the last minute and remove from heat.





Taste and adjust seasoning.





JM