Chicken Makhni Handi
A home-style recipe for Chicken Makhni Handi. Serves 4, ready in about 50 minutes.
Ingredients
- 750 g boneless chicken, in 3–4 cm cubes
- ¼ cup (60 g) yogurt
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 tbsp butter
- 5 tomatoes (about 600 g), chopped or blended
- 1 tsp salt, for the gravy
- 1 tsp red chilli powder (or 1 tsp paprika for colour)
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ cup cream
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed (optional)
Missing something?
- No chicken? Use mutton or beef (cook longer), or soya chunks.
- No tomato? Use 1 tbsp tomato paste per tomato, or 2 tbsp yogurt for tang.
- No cream? Use milk with a little butter, simmered to thicken (lighter).
- No butter? Use ghee or oil.
- No yogurt? Use milk with 1 tsp lemon juice, rested 10 minutes.
Method
- Mix the chicken with the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, salt, chilli and lemon juice. If you have time, leave it for 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge; if not, cook it right away.
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the chicken on high heat for 6–8 minutes until lightly golden. Lift it out.
- In the same pan, melt 3 tbsp of the butter. Add the tomatoes, salt and chilli and cook on medium heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring, until thick and the butter separates. Blend smooth if you like.
- Add the chicken, garam masala, sugar and ½ cup water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in the cream and the last 1 tbsp butter and cook for 2 minutes.
- Crush the kasuri methi between your palms over the handi and stir.
Tip: Keep the heat low once the cream goes in so it doesn't split. Add a little more sugar if your tomatoes are very sour.