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Butter chicken

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Butter chicken is a famous Indian curry. It is also known by its Hindi name, Murgh Makhani. The word "makhani" comes from "makhan," which means butter. This dish features chicken pieces cooked in a rich gravy. The sauce is made from tomatoes and butter. It is known for having a very creamy and velvety texture. People often enjoy it because the flavor is mild and smooth.

Preparing the dish requires a careful sequence of steps. First, the chicken must undergo a long marination process. It sits in a mixture for several hours. This marinade includes lemon juice and dahi, which is yogurt. Cooks also add Kashmiri red chilli, salt, and garam masala. Ginger paste and garlic paste are added to this mix as well. This process helps prepare the meat for cooking.

Once marinated, the chicken is cooked using high heat. Many cooks use a tandoor, which is a traditional clay oven. Other methods include grilling, oven-roasting, or pan-frying. After the meat is cooked, it is combined with the sauce. The sauce is a tomato, garlic, and ginger-based liquid. This sauce is simmered until it is smooth. Most of the water evaporates during this simmering stage.

There are many ways to create the final sauce. Cooks use various spices to build complex flavors. These spices might include cardamom, cumin, cloves, or cinnamon. They may also use coriander, pepper, or dried fenugreek leaves. In Hindi, these leaves are called kasuri methi. Some recipes use cashew paste to act as a thickener. To ensure a velvety texture, the sauce is often sieved. Finally, the dish is often garnished with fresh coriander.

The history of butter chicken is tied to a specific time and place. It likely originated in Delhi, India, during the 1950s. Two men named Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujral created it. They were Punjabi Hindu refugees from Peshawar. They worked at the Moti Mahal restaurant in the Daryaganj neighborhood. The dish was reportedly created "by chance." They mixed leftover tandoori chicken into a tomato sauce rich in butter.

Butter chicken has spread far beyond the borders of India. It is very common in Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is also popular wherever there is a South Asian diaspora. In 1975, the English name appeared in print in Manhattan. This was at the Gaylord Indian restaurant. Today, the dish appears in many unexpected forms. In Canada and the Caribbean, it fills pizzas, wraps, and rolls. In Australia and New Zealand, it is used as a pie filling.

Because it is so popular, people sometimes make mistakes about its origin. Many people confuse it with chicken tikka masala. While similar, they are different dishes. Tikka masala uses a tomato paste instead of a butter-based gravy. There is also ongoing debate about its history. In 2024, restaurant owners even sued a rival over who invented it. Despite these disputes, the dish remains a beloved global staple. It connects many different cultures through its rich, comforting taste.

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