Recipe guide · 4 min read
How to Make Restaurant Style Butter Chicken
In brief: Restaurant style butter chicken starts before the gravy. Marinate boneless or bone-in chicken with thick curd, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli, salt, garam masala, lemon juice and a spoon of mustard oil. Give it at least two hours, or overnight if you want the deeper dhaba flavour. Roast the chicken on a hot tawa, grill pan
A creamy murgh makhani guide with tandoori-style chicken, smooth tomato gravy and the finish guests remember.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken
- 1/2 cup thick yoghurt
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tomatoes
- 10 cashews
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp cream
- Salt and lemon
How to make it
- 1Marinate chicken with yoghurt, ginger-garlic, chilli, garam masala, lemon and salt for at least two hours. Grill or roast until lightly charred.
- 2Cook tomatoes, cashews, onion, ginger and garlic until soft. Blend and strain into a smooth puree.
- 3Heat butter, add chilli and the puree, then cook until glossy. Add chicken, salt and kasuri methi and simmer gently.
- 4Finish with cream and butter. Rest briefly and serve with naan or jeera rice.
Chef tips
- Char the chicken before adding it to the gravy.
- Strain the tomato puree for a smooth finish.
- Balance tomato acidity with a small amount of honey or sugar.
Why this recipe works
Restaurant style butter chicken starts before the gravy. Marinate boneless or bone-in chicken with thick curd, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli, salt, garam masala, lemon juice and a spoon of mustard oil. Give it at least two hours, or overnight if you want the deeper dhaba flavour. Roast the chicken on a hot tawa, grill pan or oven until the edges catch colour. That light char is what keeps the final curry from tasting flat.
For the gravy, cook tomatoes with cashews, a little onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli, bay leaf and whole spices until everything softens. Blend it smooth, then strain if you want the polished restaurant texture. Heat butter, add Kashmiri chilli powder on low flame, pour in the puree and cook until the fat begins to show at the sides.
Add salt, honey or sugar to balance acidity, crushed kasuri methi and a little garam masala. Slide in the roasted chicken and simmer gently so the smoke and masala meet. Finish with cream and a final knob of butter, keeping the flame low so the gravy stays silky.
The restaurant finish comes from patience more than heavy cream or extra masala. Taste at the end, rest the dish for a few minutes, and serve it hot with naan, roti or jeera rice. At Sardaar Ji Dhaba, we look for the same balance every time: a gravy that clings, spice that stays warm, and a final bite that still feels generous.
The first bite should make you look up from the table.
Kitchen note · Sardaar Ji Dhaba