Butter chicken me up

An Indian crowd-pleaser of questionable provenance no kitchen should be without, The story of murgh makhani, more commonly known as butter chicken, is a tale of the supreme 20th-century curry, almost as enthralling as the dish itself.

Arguably the ultimate Indian culinary frauthenticity, makhani (taking its name from the Punjabi/Hindi word “makhan” meaning “butter”) seems to have been invented in the 1950s by restaurateurs Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujral, founders of the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi, where they fled from the the Punjab after the partition of India in 1947. The dish is a clever conceit to breathe new life into chicken tandoori leftovers.

Butter chicken: what's in a name?

Now, while the lineage rapidly proves this is a most decidedly recent Indian invention, that’s where it gets even more tricky. Depending on which source you believe, its first iteration outside of India may or may not have been at the Gaylord Indian restaurant in Manhattan, the establishment that claims to have coined the term "butter chicken" in a curry recipe that first appeared in print in 1975. But hold onto your hats: the UK, with its far older history of Indian diasporan cuisine, certainly has a number of indignant contenders claiming the term was long popularised in British Indian restaurants before then.

Just to make it even less simple, whether murgh makhani is, in fact, exactly the same popular “butter chicken” dish enjoyed all around the world, remains open to debate. Recipes may be similar, but not entirely the same. I’ve eaten “butter chicken” in Indian restaurants on at least four continents. And, indeed, the buttery richness, tomato base and smoothness from the cream were all there. But, mostly, there is a divine sourness found in my recipe that was missing, perhaps commercially adjusted to local tastes in some locales.

Anyway, here’s my version, developed over many years of charming elderly doyennes overseeing kitchens in old-fashioned neighbourhood Indian restaurants in London and Edinburgh, chatting with Indian chefs I respect online and doing a little reading.

Though traditionally made with chicken, this is a dish that works very, very well with seafood (actually I prefer it; jhinga makhani) or plant-based options. Tonight I’ve done it with common-or-garden pilau rice, tarted up with a little lime, spring onion and turmeric. But ordinarily I prefer it with naan bread or roti. And, maybe a few more impressive condiments than I was able to muster from the fridge today.

This recipe serves 2 to 3 diners. Spinach, pointed red pepper and mushrooms aren't ordinarily part of most makhani recipes, but I think they make delicious and nutritious additions. Or, indeed numerous other veggies that I often add.

And, you can use any number of condiments to enhance the experience. For example, in the summer I tend to go full-on South African Indian disaporan cuisine with raita or a sambal of mango and desiccated coconut.

A version with chicken, thick-sliced mushrooms and orange bell peppers, served with pilau rice and a sambal of raw radish, cucumber and spring onion dressed in a little malt vinegar.

Shopping list

• 1 tin (400g) peeled tomatoes, puréed

• 250ml double cream

• 2.5 tspns vegetable (or peanut) oil

• 1 large brown onion, finely chopped

• 45g butter

• ½ tbspn ginger, very finely grated

• 1 large large pointed sweet red pepper, sliced

• ½ tbsp garlic, very finely grated/paste

• 2 or 3 green chillies, finely chopped (more, or less, for your heat needs)

• 1.5 tspns cumin seeds

• 1.5 tspns turmeric

• 1 tspn red chilli powder

• 1 tspn smoked Kashmiri chili powder

• 1.5 tspns coriander powder

• 1 tspn garam masala

• 3 tspns dried fenugreek leaves ( “kasturi methi”)

• 2.5 tspns fresh chopped coriander

• Salt to taste

• Approx. 170g fresh young spinach

• Approx. 125g mushrooms, sliced (I like bog-standard chestnut closed-cup mushrooms for this one, but any variety works well)

• 180g king prawns OR 3 to 4 de-boned chicken thighs, cubed

An outing of the sauce, frozen, defrosted and fine-blended using handheld blender, then slowly heated and served with large prawns, basmati rice, a shandy of of iced Indian beer and limeade and a starter of veggie samosas and a "sambal" of grated raw radish, turmeric and vinegar as a condiment.

Cooking method

First steps

This is an add-to-sauce recipe. So, first you need to prepare your protein. Whether you do the quick-’n-easy opting for ready cooked-and-peeled king prawns that simply need a wash in a colander or opt for frozen that need to be cooked first, get this done.

If you opt for the chicken, it’s a little more of a fuss because you either need to first grill it coated in tandoori spice and allow it to cool, or sauté it in a small pot, browning a little of the onion and mixed spices used in the main part of the dish before you cook the chicken.

Makhani joy

1. In a pestle and mortar (or if you’re really fancy, an electric spice mill) grind the dried spices (except the cumin seeds) together until a little more coarse than a fine powder

2. Add the oil to a pot on a high heat. Throw in the cumin seeds. As soon as these have sealed, add the diced onion, mixing both to prevent sticking as the onion sweats

3. Add in the ginger, garlic, pointed sweet red chili and green chilli paste. Fold into the other ingredients. After few minutes, add the puréed tomatoes, coriander and mushrooms

4. Add the mix of ground dried spices and the butter. Cover and cook on a medium heat with the lid on for about 5 to 6 mins, stirring regularly

5. Remove from the heat and purée the contents of the pot using a hand-held blender (if you’re really old-school, pour it out of the pot into a clean pot through a sieve and break down the ingredients with a large wooden spoon)

6. Place the smooth, puréed sauce back on a medium-to-high heat and slowly add the cream. The “oily” butter and cream elements may start to separate. Stir regularly to prevent this happening while it simmers for a further 6 to 7 mins

7. Finally, add your desired protein and spinach, and cook for a further 2 to 3 mins (pre-cooked prawns/seafood); 3 to 4 mins (pre-cooked chicken)

8. Remove from the heat, stir the protein deep into the mixture. Cover and allow to rest for a couple of minutes before plating or taking to the table in a serving dish

9. Serve with pilau rice, boiled basmati rice, baked naan bread or roti

Pairings

Yes, this is most definitely going to be on Karel’s homework list, least of all because he, who loves those insanely sour open-barrel artisan ciders, will really enjoy the tart, almost bitter edge this dish has if you get it right. For the moment, however, I paired it with a decorous schorle of sparkling water and mango juice, the sweet juice a nice contrast to the bitter flavours in the dish.

I also really thoroughly recommend it with Brewdog's Punk IPA. There's something quite specific about the place of curries in Scottish food culture. But, in this case, for me it's about the way the lovely tartness of this IPA works so well with the spices in this dish.

Alternatives

The great thing about this dish is that if you want to use vegan/veggie proteins like (smoked) tofu, you only need to add them at the final stage without any pre-cooking. Another great plant-based option is to simply double up on the quantity of mushrooms and add them at the same point as in the cooking method above.