Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Butter chicken
Tandoori-style chicken in a mild, silky tomato gravy finished with butter and cream. It was made famous by the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in the mid-20th century; who exactly invented it is still argued about, even in court.
Same steps, different flavour base MildRecipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.
This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Butter chicken. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.
Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Butter chicken
See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map
The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.
Main ingredient: 600 g Boneless chicken, ideally marinated for 30 minutes in curd, chilli powder, salt and ginger garlic paste.
Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.
Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.
Butter chicken: do thisUse just one onion, finely chopped. Many cooks leave it out entirely.
Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Butter chicken: do thisFry in butter and a little oil. Add ginger garlic paste (non-veg step A).
Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.
Butter chicken: do thisUse the marinated chicken.
Base step: do not useAdd them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Butter chicken: do thisFry the chicken until it browns outside, then lift it out. Add the tomato purée to the pan and cook it down for 8–10 minutes.
Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.
Butter chicken: do thisUse Kashmiri chilli powder for colour, and only a little turmeric. Add the whole spices (step B) and garam masala (step C).
Base step: do not useKeep frying until just before they start browning.
Butter chicken: do thisCook until the tomato sauce darkens and oil shows at the edges.
Base step: do not useAdd some water.
Butter chicken: do thisAdd only a little water, and put the chicken back.
Base step: do not useAdd salt.
Butter chicken: do thisAdd salt and a pinch of sugar.
Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.
Butter chicken: do thisSimmer for about 10 minutes, then stir in butter, cream and crushed kasuri methi.
Serve: With naan or jeera rice.
For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.
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