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Butter Chicken

Tender chicken thighs in a spiced tomato, butter and cream sauce, made in one bowl. Serve it over rice.

By Wanda Oyola 1 h Medium

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Recipe in testing: I'm cooking it in my TM7™ and will update the steps and the photo with my own.

Butter chicken in an orange tomato cream sauce with white rice and cilantro.

Butter chicken, or murgh makhani, is one of the best-loved dishes from North Indian restaurants: pieces of chicken in a mild, silky tomato sauce made rich with butter and cream. It is warmly spiced rather than hot, which makes it a good first curry for kids and for anyone who is shy about spicy food.

In the Thermomix® TM7™, the onion, garlic and ginger are chopped and sautéed, the tomato sauce simmers and is blended until smooth, and then the marinated chicken cooks right in the sauce on reverse at soft speed, so the pieces stay whole. All you need on the side is a pot of rice and, if you like, some warm naan.

Made in the Thermomix® TM7™

Butter Chicken

Makes: 4 servings

  • Prep20 min
  • Cook40 min
  • Total1 h
  • Serves4

Ingredients

For the chicken

For the sauce

To finish

To serve

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, mix the chicken with the yogurt, garam masala and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
  2. Place the onion, garlic and ginger in the mixing bowl, chop 5 sec/speed 5 and scrape down the sides with the spatula.
  3. Add the butter and oil and sauté 5 min/120°C (250°F)/speed 1.
  4. Add the garam masala, paprika, cumin, turmeric and cayenne and sauté 1 min/120°C (250°F)/speed 1.
  5. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and salt. Place the simmering basket on the mixing bowl lid instead of the measuring cup and cook 10 min/100°C (212°F)/speed 1.
  6. Put the measuring cup in place and blend 30 sec/speed 5-10, increasing speed gradually, until the sauce is smooth.
  7. Add the chicken with its marinade, place the simmering basket on the lid again and cook 18 min/100°C (212°F)/reverse/speed soft.
  8. Add the cream and butter and cook 3 min/90°C (195°F)/reverse/speed soft. The chicken should reach 74°C (165°F) in the center.
  9. Serve over basmati rice with cilantro on top and naan on the side, if you like.

Tips

  • Milder for kids? Leave out the cayenne. Want more heat? Add 1 fresh serrano pepper with the onion in step 2.
  • Cook the rice before you start the sauce and keep it covered, so everything is ready at the same time.
  • Butter chicken tastes even better the next day. It keeps 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer, stored without the rice.

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