Butter chicken

What is Butter chicken?

Butter chicken is a curry featuring pieces of chicken in a velvety, orange-red sauce. The chicken is first marinated in yoghurt, lemon juice, spices, and aromatics, then cooked—traditionally in a tandoor, a clay oven. The sauce is made by simmering tomatoes, butter, ginger, garlic, and a blend of spices until smooth, with dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and sometimes cashew paste added for extra richness. The result is a mild, creamy dish with a gentle heat and a buttery, slightly tangy flavor.

Where does Butter chicken come from?

Butter chicken was developed in Delhi in the 1950s by Kundan Lal Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi, Punjabi Hindu refugees who ran the Moti Mahal restaurant. The dish reportedly began as a way to use leftover tandoori chicken by simmering it in a tomato and butter sauce. Some accounts, including one from Gujral's grandson, suggest it may have first appeared in Peshawar before partition, but it became famous in Delhi. The restaurant also popularized other 'makhani' (butter-based) curries.

How is Butter chicken made?

To make butter chicken, chicken pieces are marinated for hours in a mixture of yoghurt, lemon juice, red chilli, salt, garam masala, ginger, and garlic. The marinated meat is then cooked, often in a tandoor, but grilling or pan-frying are also used. The sauce is prepared by simmering tomatoes, butter, ginger, garlic, and spices until the mixture is smooth and thick. The cooked chicken is added to the sauce, which may be finished with cream or cashew paste and garnished with coriander.

How and when is Butter chicken eaten?

Butter chicken is typically eaten for lunch or dinner. It is commonly served with naan, a soft leavened flatbread, or with rice. The mild, creamy sauce makes it a popular choice for those new to Indian food. In India and abroad, it is often found in restaurants and is a staple of North Indian cuisine. In some countries, it is also used as a filling for pies, wraps, or even poutine.

Kinds of Butter chicken

There are many versions of butter chicken, especially outside India. In Canada and the Caribbean, it appears as a filling for pizza, poutine, wraps, or roti. In Australia and New Zealand, it can be found inside pies. The sauce's spice and richness may be adjusted, and different cooking methods are used for the chicken. Some cooks thicken the sauce with cashew paste or add extra cream for a richer texture.

What Butter chicken means

Butter chicken is closely tied to the cuisine of Delhi and the legacy of the Moti Mahal restaurant. It is often confused with chicken tikka masala, a similar dish popular in the UK. Its popularity has spread globally, especially in countries with a South Asian diaspora. The dish is sometimes mistakenly thought to be of Western origin due to its creamy sauce and worldwide presence.

Questions people ask about Butter chicken

Good reading and sources

• ‘Vadiya Khao’: Refugees taught Delhi how to eat out in styleHindustan Times, Article
• India’s courts to rule on who invented butter chickenThe Guardian, Article
• A refugee invented butter chicken, and changed the face of Indian cuisineSouth China Morning Post, Article

• Butter chicken on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data