What warms the belly more than a perfectly spiced, creamy, and authentic Indian Butter Chicken recipe? Our simple recipe details everything you need to cook this scrumptious meal in just 30 minutes! Indulge in the rich taste of a perfectly balanced masala spice blend, ghee, tomatoes, coconut cream and fragrant Himalayan basmati rice. Adjust the spice level to your liking with Kashmiri chili powder. This easy butter chicken recipe will transport you from your kitchen into the homes of India, warming your palette and your tummy with its tantalizing balance of cream and spice!
Indian Butter Chicken’s History:
Legend has it that the first butter chicken was created in the 1950s in Delhi, India. As the story goes, a small restaurant owner’s grandson took over the business when his grandfather fell ill. Meanwhile, the grandson noticed that by the end of the day the restaurant’s tandoori chicken would tend to dry out if unsold. Then, he then came up with the idea to mix it in a rich gravy using spices, tomatoes, butter, and cream. Consequently, the perfect Indian butter chicken recipe was born and the rest is history!
We hope that you enjoy this crave-able dish! When you get a chance to try it, we would love to hear about your results in the comments below. Some of these ingredients may be difficult to find in your local grocery store, so we have gone ahead and added a few helpful links to specialty Amazon products below.
Happy cooking!
Butter Chicken Specialty Ingredients list:
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Indian Butter Masala & Basmati Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Basmati rice
- 15-18 oz Crushed tomatoes
- ½ Onion, chopped
- 5-7 oz Coconut cream or heavy cream
- ¼ cup Masala spice blend
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1-2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
- 1-2 tsp Kashmiri or cayenne chili powder (optional)
Proteins (choose 1):
- 2 cups cubed chicken, rotisserie chicken, paneer, or chickpeas
- 1 cup peas
Instructions
Cook the Rice
- Place basmati rice in a rice cooker or medium pot with lid.
- Rinse the rice by adding cold water to pot, swirling, and carefully draining 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Optional: soak rice in water for 20 min. before cooking to achieve longer grains.
- Add 1.5 cups of water to rice, half of the ghee, and half of the Himalayan pink salt.
- Rice cooker: press start/cook.
- Stovetop: bring rice to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes. Continue with recipe while the rice cooks…
Prep Ingredients
- Open tomatoes and coconut cream.
- Prepare about 2 cups of protein by cleaning and cutting into bitesize pieces, if needed.
- (Optional) Finely dice half of a medium onion (about 1/2 cup).
Create the Masala
- Spoon the remaining half of the ghee into a large saucepan with lid, heat over medium. Add diced onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent, stirring often.
- Reduce heat to low and add the masala spice blend and desired amount of Kashmiri chili powder. Cook for another minute until a paste forms.
Add Protein & Seasonings
- Add the tomatoes, your protein, coconut cream, sugar, and the remaining half of the Himalayan pink salt.
Develop the Flavors
- (Optional) if adding peas, stir into the butter masala now.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has a gravy-like consistency.
- Tip: to thin, gradually add water, to thicken, simmer without a lid.
Plate & Enjoy!
- When the basmati rice has finished cooking, fluff with a fork to release excess moisture.
- Serve butter masala with a side of cooked basmati rice.
- Enhance your experience with an Indian music playlist (takeoutkit.com/playlists).
- “Enjoy your meal” kripyā bhojan kā ānnand lijīyai!
Are you looking for more delicious global recipes? Be sure to check out the complete list.