MMMMMMMurgh Makhni, Ladies and Gentlemen!

This is probably one of my most favourite things in the world. I used to make this at the hotel for staff meal about once a month and people would make me write down the recipe. When I made it for work I would also add about a litre of cream before serving, so the sauce was a nice soft pink colour. It was my personal goal to fatten everyone at work up. I did a really good job of it. Especially on myself. What a chub. Anyway, here is a healthier version of what I used to make.

Butter chicken is really forgiving so if you dont have yoghurt, use sour cream, milk or coconut milk. If you dont have tomato paste use a can of tomato soup and skip adding the salt. Play around, let it simmer, and people will murgh makhni in their pants over how good this is.

There’s a lot of steps here but you can do all of them at once and it’s really only 20-30 minutes of prep. If you can wait its even better the next day. It's cheap, healthy, and delicious!

Oh, and it's nice with rice.

Here is the recipe in full, and each step will break it down further.

A Healthier Butter Chicken

Yield: Enough for 6 people
Cost: $15
Time: 1 hour

Hardware:

- large, heavy bottomed pot
- container with lid or ziplock bag
- 9x13 casserole dish, lined with tinfoil
- small pan
- spice grinder or mortar & pestle (optional)
- wooden spoon

Software:

Curry Spice Mix

2 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp yellow curry powder
4 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Combine all ingredients.

Marinade
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, cubed
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp Curry Spice Mix
4 tbsp tomato puree
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large ziplock bag or bowl, and let sit in fridge atleast one hour, preferably over night

Curry Sauce
2 large onions, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup freshly chopped ginger
1/4 cup freshly chopped garlic
1 tbsp salt
1 can tomato puree
1 cup brown sugar
8 tbsp curry spice mix (more or less to taste)
Cayenne powder to taste
1/2 cup cashew or almonds
1/2 cup water
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

In a large, heavy bottomed stock pot heat up your olive oil and butter on medium-high heat. Stir in your garlic and ginger until browned, then add in your onions and sautee until tender. This will take 15 - 20 minutes.

Lay out your marinated chicken onto a baking dish lined with tinfoil. Roast at 450 until chicken is starting to char on the tips, stirring every 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small dry pan, toast your nuts until lightly browned. Set aside. In the same pan toast your spice mix 3-4 minutes on medium high heat until you can really start to smell the spices.

In a food processor blend together nuts, spice mix and 1/2 cup of water til you have a smooth, aromatic paste.

Add tomato puree to onion mix. Add in your spicy nut paste. Throw in sugar. Cook down for 10 minutes until all ingredients are incorporated. Mix with stick blender until smooth. Taste and add more spice, garlic, sugar or salt as needed, a little at a time.

When satisfied with sauce, add in your roasted chicken, making sure to scrape in all the marinade with it.

Let simmer 30 minutes to an hour. This thickens the sauce, marries the flavours and makes the chicken super tender.

Step 1: Step 1: So Spice!

Curry Spice Mix

2 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp garlic powder
4 tbsp cumin
4 tbsp yellow curry powder
2 tsp chili powder (less or more depending on preference)

Combine all ingredients. Keep in a sealed container for up to 6 months. I like to quadruple this mix just so I have some on hand.

Step 2: Step 2: Marinade

Marinade

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp Curry Spice Mix
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Cut your chicken into 2" cubes.

Combine yoghurt, spices, and lemon juice in a large ziplock bag or bowl. Add chicken, and mix together so that it's evenly coated. Let this sit covered in the fridge at least one hour, but preferably over night.

This step will help to tenderize the chicken, as well as give it a head start in the tastiness department.

Step 3: Step 3: Gentlemen, Start Your Onions!

Curry Base

2 large onions, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup freshly chopped ginger
1/4 cup freshly chopped garlic
1 tbsp salt

In a large, heavy bottomed stock pot heat up your olive oil and butter on medium-high heat.

Stir in your garlic and ginger until lightly browned, then add in your onions and salt and sautee until tender.

This will take 15-20 minutes. Youre looking for a light caramel colour, and for your onions to be very soft.

Step 4: Step 4: "Tandoori" the Chicken

Turn on the oven broiler, or preheat your oven to 450F.

Remove your marinaded chicken from the fridge.

Lay out your marinated chicken onto a baking dish lined with tinfoil. Roast at until chicken is starting to char on the tips, stirring every 5-10 minutes.

Set aside.

This step helps to give your chicken a roasty "tandoori" flavour as well as gets the cooking process started so you don't have to wait as long to eat!

Step 5: Step 5: Toast Your Nuts

Meanwhile, in a small dry pan, toast 1/2 cup cashew nuts or almonds until lightly browned.

Set aside.

In the same pan toast your spice mix 3-4 minutes on medium high heat until you can really start to smell the spices.

Ive done my nuts and spices at the same time here, but your spices are more likely to burn before your nuts are nice and brown, if you're not careful.

You can also omit this step if you're in a hurry, but I like to try to coax as much flavour as possible out of every ingredient for a dish like this.

Step 6: Step 6: Grind'em Up

In a food processor blend together nuts, spice mix and 1/2 cup of water til you have a smooth, aromatic paste.

Alternatively, you could use ground nuts, and just mix it with the spices and a little water into a paste.

Step 7: Step 7: Sauce Time

1 can tomato puree
1 cup brown sugar

Add tomato puree to onion mix. Add in your spicy nut paste. Throw in brown sugar. Cook down for 10 minutes until all ingredients are incorporated. Mix with stick blender until smooth. Taste and add more spice, garlic, sugar or salt if you think it needs it. Just a little bit at a time.

When satisfied with the sauce, add in the roasted chicken, making sure to scrape in all the marinade with it.

Let simmer 30 minutes to an hour. This thickens the sauce, marries the flavours and makes the chicken get all tender.

Step 8: Step 8: Become One With Your Butter Chicken

Garnish with thick yoghurt and chopped scallions if you’ve got it. Serve with rice or naan!

If you want to say hell to healthiness and you just gotta have that silky creamy butter kind of butter chicken, before you serve it add 2-4 cups of heavy cream to your sauce. Dang oh mang.