Healthy Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) | Slimming Eats Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between butter chicken and murgh makhani? ›

Butter chicken, traditionally known as murgh makhani (pronounced [mʊrɣ ˈməkʰaːni]), is an Indian dish originating in Delhi. It is a type of curry made from chicken with a spiced tomato and butter (makhan) sauce. Its sauce is known for its rich texture. It is similar to chicken tikka masala, which uses a tomato paste.

A single serving of butter chicken can contain a significant amount of saturated fat, which, when consumed in excess, can contribute to health issues like heart disease. But fret not! If you're craving the flavors of butter chicken without compromising your health, there are ways to enjoy it guilt-free.

Butter Chicken is best served with Jeera rice , Turmeric Rice, plain fluffy Basmati Rice, Tandoori Roti, Naan or Paratha.

Water, Tomato, Cream, Unsalted butter, Vegetable oil, Sugar, Modified corn starch, Concentrated tomato purée, Spices, Dried onion, Ginger, Garlic, Salt, Lactic acid (acidulant), Paprika extract, Citric acid (acidulant), Dried fenugreek leaf.

The remarkably similar dishes differ in just one way — butter chicken (murgh makani) is a creamy blend of tomato sauce and spices while tikka masala has a creamy tomato gravy and onion sauce. “They almost look the same but there is a subtle difference in taste and flavor,” says Kafle.

Makhani (ਮੱਖਣੀ) is a Punjabi word meaning "butter" and may refer to several dishes in North Indian cuisine: Dal makhani, made from beans and pulses. Murgh makhani, also known as butter chicken or chicken makhani.

Any Indian curries that are tomato-based, like tandoori, madras, jalfrezi, rogan and bhuna, are the lowest in calories. They average around 200-300 calories. If you want an even healthier option, consider a sauce-free dish like fish tikka (which is only 180 calories).

Truth be told, while a vegan butter chicken may not directly promote weight loss on its own, it can be a part of a weight loss diet when consumed as part of a balanced and calorie-controlled meal plan.

Both butter and cream are high in saturated fat. High intakes of saturated fat increase blood cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. Keep your daily saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of calories, or about 22 grams per day on a 2,000-calorie diet, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Butter chicken is rich, full of flavour and has a delicious mix of spices, so it's best paired with a medium weight white wine with good acidity. Enjoy it with a Chardonnay, Roussanne, aged Riesling, Semillon or Vermentino.

What thickens butter chicken? ›

Use wheat flour, rice flour, or coconut flour plus a fat (like ghee, olive oil, or coconut oil) in equal amounts. Cook both ingredients for a few minutes to cook out the raw flour taste, then add your curry ingredients. Once the whole curry dish comes to a boil, the sauce will thicken.

Buttermilk is slightly acidic, so as the chicken marinates, the buttermilk breaks down the proteins in the chicken, tenderising it. Its thicker texture helps completely coat the chicken in the spiced flour mixture so it crisps up well when fried.

I wanted to create a slightly healthier version that still tasted like an authentic butter chicken recipe. First, this recipe only uses 2 tablespoons of butter and a can of evaporated milk instead of heavy cream. You can also use coconut milk, but it will give it a slightly coconut flavor.

Another aspect that makes butter chicken such a flavorful dish is its sauce. The westernized version of butter chicken uses cornstarch or flour for thickening the sauce. However, in India, groundnuts are used as thickeners. They also give the dish an additional depth of flavor.

Butter chicken originated from Northern India in 1948. Created by Kundan Lal Gujral, you may notice that Butter Chicken (known as murgh makhani — chicken with butter), is similar to British tikka masala.

The heat/ spice of the dish combines with the rich gravy and slight sweetness that make it very hard to resist. With most dishes that have fond memories it's the taste that lingers on even years later.

- In Indian cookbooks, murg is the word used for chicken. The word murg was used in Persia for bird or fowl. Murgi is the Hindi word for the hen. In the Indian subcontinent, one does not find the mention of many egg or chicken recipes, while, Ayurveda supports consumption of meat, birds and fishes.

No, Just like Chicken butter masala and Chicken makhani (Butter chicken) are different & not the same, even paneer butter masala and paneer makhani are different. Though both are cooked in butter with similar ingredients they are not the same. But many restaurants use the terms interchangeably.

Unlike most Indian curries where the preparation of the base starts with a blend of onion and a ginger garlic paste cooked in oil, butter chicken uses tomato as a base and is cooked in butter, giving it a slightly sweet flavor.