Butter Chicken - Home-Style Murgh Makhani

Butter Chicken felt like the only way to end my Punjabi Food Series. For this version, we’re making it home-style: smoky grilled chicken, a tomato and cashew makhani sauce, a buttery onion tadka, and just enough cream to bring everything together without making it overly rich or sweet. The final dhungar (smoke) gives it that deep smoky flavor that makes the whole dish feel extra special. This one takes a little more effort than some of the other recipes in the series, but every step adds something. It is absolutely worth it. 📖 Full written recipe and what to do if you don't have a grill: [SUBSTACK_LINK] And with that, we’ve reached the final recipe in my Punjabi Food Series. Thank you for cooking along with me. ❤️ 🛒 INGREDIENTS MARINADE 1 kg boneless chicken thighs (6–8), cut into large pieces 100g thick Greek yoghurt, strained Juice of ½ lemon 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 inch ginger, grated 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder 1 tsp garam masala ½ tsp roasted cumin powder ½ tsp black pepper 1 tsp kasuri methi, crushed 1½ tsp salt 1 tbsp mustard oil, smoked and cooled MAKHANI BASE 1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp ghee 4 green cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp cumin seeds ½ large red onion, roughly chopped 1 tsp salt 5–6 cloves garlic, sliced 1 inch ginger, sliced Handful of coriander stems 700g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 5 large) 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder ⅓ cup cashews 1 cup water TADKA 2 tbsp butter 1 cup onion, finely chopped Pinch of salt TO FINISH 2 tbsp cream 1 tsp sugar 1 tbsp butter ½ tsp garam masala 1 tsp kasuri methi, toasted and crushed DHUNGAR 1 piece lump charcoal, 2 cloves, 1 tsp ghee GARNISH Lightly whipped cream, slit green chili Serves 4–6. #butterchicken #murghmakhani #punjabifood #indianfood #homecooking #dhungar #tandoori