Punjabi Butter Chicken is from Punjab state which is located in North India. Before I prepared this butter masala in different methods using paneer instead of chicken.
I made this Butter chicken masala on Sunday for my lunch and it came out really very well and we served this masala with Naan. My whole family enjoyed it a lot and especially my kids asked me to make it one more time.
What are the ingredients required to make this recipe?
To make this lip-smacking and delicious butter chicken you need boneless chicken which will be perfect for this recipe. You can use paneer instead of chicken to make this.
The spices required for this recipe are very basic and they are red chilli powder, garam masala, ginger-garlic paste, cumin seeds, yoghurt and tomato puree. Here I used store brought concentrated tomato puree and I have not used any colour to make this butter chicken.
To make it creamier I used fresh cream and to increase the aroma I used Kasturi methi.
How to make this Butter Chicken
First, you have to marinate chicken pieces with the spices along with curd and rest it for at least 1 hour if you have time marinate it in the night and keep in the fridge.
Next, heat a non-stick pan with oil and fry the marinated chicken pieces until all the moisture is evaporated. It will take around 10-15 minutes.
Then in the same pan heat butter, oil. Add cumin seeds and when they begin to crackle add onions and fry them, add ginger garlic paste along with spices and sauté on medium flame till raw smells go. Then goes tomato purée along with fried chicken pieces. Finally, add fresh cream and Kasturi methi.
Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge
By now my regular readers would have understood that I came again with another regional recipe for the Facebook group Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge. My partner for this month for Punjabi cuisine Challenge is Jayashree Trao who blogs at Evergreendishes. Do check her beautiful blog for delicious and mouthwatering recipes. She gave garlic-ginger and tomato as my secret ingredients and I gave her milk and Kalonji as her secret ingredients and she came up with a delicious Kulcha recipe.
Step by step pictures of making Punjabi Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
For the chicken Marination:
- Boneless chicken – 500 grams
- Red chilli powder – 1tsp
- Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
- Ginger garlic paste -1tsp
- Garam masala – ½ tsp
- Yoghurt/curd – ½ cup
- Salt to taste
- Oil – 2tsp
For Making Gravy:
- Chopped onions –1cup
- Tomato puree – ½ cup
- Ginger garlic paste -1tsp
- Garam masala – ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder – 1tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Butter – 3tbsp
- Oil – 2tbsp
- Fresh cream – ¼ cup
- Sugar – 1tsp
- Kasturi Methi – 2tbsp
Preparation:
Clean and cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces.
Take a bowl, add chicken pieces along with the ingredients mentioned under marination and mix well.
Cover and keep the marinated chicken pieces in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Heat a pan with oil and fry the marinated chicken pieces till all the moisture evaporates from it.
Transfer the fried pieces into a plate and keep aside.
Heat a Kadai with butter, oil. Once it is hot add cumin seeds and when they begin to crackle add chopped onions and fry till they change their colour into brown colour.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry a minute.
Next add red chilli powder, garam masala, sugar and fry on a medium flame for 5 minutes.
Add tomato puree to the gravy and mix well, cook for 2 minutes.
Then add ½ -1 cup water with required salt.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.
Add the cooked chicken pieces and combine well.
Cook the masala till it becomes little thick.
Next, add fresh cream along with Kasturi methi and combine well.
Transfer the Punjabi butter chicken into a serving bowl and enjoy with Naan/roti.
📖 Recipe
Punjabi Butter Chicken Recipe | Easy Butter Chicken
Equipment
- Non-stick pan
Ingredients
- For the chicken Marination:
- Boneless chicken – 500 grams
- Red chilli powder – 1tsp
- Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
- Ginger garlic paste -1tsp
- Garam masala – ½ tsp
- Yogurt/curd – ½ cup
- Salt to taste
- Oil – 2tsp
- For Making Gravy:
- Chopped onions –1cup
- Tomato puree – ½ cup
- Ginger garlic paste -1tsp
- Garam masala – ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder – 1tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Butter – 3tbsp
- Oil – 2tbsp
- Fresh cream – ¼ cup
- Sugar – 1tsp
- Kasturi Methi – 2tbsp
Instructions
- Clean and cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces.
- Take a bowl, add chicken pieces along with the ingredients mentioned under marination and Mix well.
- Cover and keep the marinated chicken pieces in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Heat a pan with oil and fry the marinated chicken pieces till all the moisture evaporates from it.
- Transfer the fried pieces into a plate and keep aside.
- Heat a kadai with butter, oil. Once it is hot add cumin seeds and when they begin to crackle add chopped onions and fry till they change their colour into brown colour.
- Add the ginger garlic paste and fry a minute.
- Next add red chilli powder, garam masala, sugar and fry on a medium flame for 5 minutes.
- Add tomato puree to the gravy and mix well, cook for 2 minutes.
- Then add ½ -1 cup water with required salt.
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.
- Add the cooked chicken pieces and combine well.
- Cook the masala till it becomes little thick.
- Next, add fresh cream along with Kasturi methi and combine well.
- Transfer the butter chicken into a serving bowl and enjoy with Naan/roti.
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The Girl Next Door
Though I'm a vegetarian, I must say the curry looks beautifully made. The gravy looks rich and very flavourful!
Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth
I totally love how your butter chicken looks like. I always add my chicken direct but next time must try grilling it before adding...
Narmadha
wow.. they look so tempting and colorful Pavani. We always love butter chicken and I frequently make them.
Kalyani
This is a treat for chicken lovers and punjabi butter chicken is so popular everywhere ...
Sujata Roy
Butter chicken masala is my most favourite chicken dish. And this looks rich creamy and mouthwatering. Loved this perfectly made butter chicken.
Ashima
One of the defining Punjabi cuisine recipe! I love the creamy gravy and it makes such a great base for so many dishes 🙂
Poonam Bachhav
Your butter chicken looks absolutely finger licking Pavani ! Bookmarking this restaurant style recipe as it can be used even for making butter paneer.
Archana
Wow butter chicken looks delicious. One of the most popular dishes from Punjab. Lovely choice and great share.
Vasusvegkitchen
This curry looks very rich, as a vegeterain will replace this with any veggie. Its gravy is colorful, definetly it will be good treat for non-veg lovers.
Sujata Shukla
Delicious looking chicken, and the recipe makes it easy to try. Frying the chicken first and then adding to the butter based gravy, sounds like a very good idea. I had expected that the chicken be added to the gravy directly after marinating, and then bunaoed till done.
Mayuri Patel
No Punjabi meal is complete without butter chicken especially if you're a meat lover. One of the most popular dishes. Though I don't eat meat, I must say your dish does look so creamy and welcoming. Like the idea of frying the chicken to evaporate the water, which in turn leaves the gravy thick and creamy.
sasmita sahoo
WOW !!! so delicious looking curry dear :0 Butter chicken masala is one my fav side dish with hot phulka 🙂 lovely presentation as well here
Priya
As a vegetarian..i am thinking of paneer and voila paneer butter masala...nice share
Renu
Butter Chicken looks very rich and creamy. I am sure my family would love it with some naan.
seema sriram
the gravy looks so creamy and luscious. I might swap the chicken for Tofu and try out this recipe ...
Veena Krishnakumar
The gravy looks so rich and creamy. Am sure this punjabi butter chicken must have tasted awesome
Beth
I have seen this recipe on your site several times and each time it looks tastier. The recipe looks very straightforward and I look forward to making it!
laddu Baddu
Very Nice Blog,
I like this types of sweets very much. Visit
Indian Sweets
pranita
Super recipe.
Jass Basi
What kind of cream ?? What is it called ??
Pavani
Hi Jass Basi, here i have used a fresh single cream.
Cooking Craft
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G it is true that I order that dish the most when going to Indian restaurants. Well…not anymoreeeee. I can make it right here at home now 😀
Pavani
Thank you. Please give your feedback when you try the recipe.
ripon hassan
Everything is so nicely described that really helped me to understand it better. I am looking for more such delicious recipes in future too.
Pavani
Thank you so much Ripon hassan