The Story Behind Butter Chicken
Ask a hundred guests what to order on their first visit and "butter chicken" will lead the list. But the dish carries a story most people never hear — one that begins in a busy Delhi kitchen in the 1940s and ends in tandoors across the world.
A happy accident at Moti Mahal
In the late 1940s, the chefs at Moti Mahal in Delhi were trying to stop yesterday's tandoori chicken from drying out. Their fix: stir the leftover marinade together with butter, fresh tomato, cream and a pinch of fenugreek leaves, then warm the chicken through.
The new gravy was rich, mildly spiced and impossibly comforting. Diners asked for it by name. Within a decade, "murgh makhani" had crossed continents.
What makes ours different
We marinate the chicken overnight in yogurt, ginger and garam masala, then char it in the tandoor before it ever meets the gravy. That extra step is the difference between a curry that tastes of butter and one that tastes of smoke and butter.
The tomato base is reduced low and slow for two hours. No shortcuts, no powders — just whole spices ground in-house each morning, and a finishing knob of butter that should never be skipped.
How to order it like a regular
Order it with a garlic naan, a side of jeera rice, and a cold lassi. Skip the rice if you want the smoke to come through; ask for an extra naan if you don't. And if you're bringing a bottle, a soft, fruity red works beautifully against the cream.
Butter chicken or chicken tikka masala?
The two dishes are cousins, and people mix them up all the time. Both start with chicken that has been marinated and cooked in the tandoor. The difference is the sauce.
Butter chicken, or murgh makhani, is built on tomato, butter and cream, with fenugreek leaves for a faint savoury bitterness. It is smooth, mild and slightly sweet. Chicken tikka masala is brighter and more savoury: the gravy leans on onion and masala, and our version adds capsicum, so the dish has more texture and a little more warmth.
If you like your curry gentle and rich, choose butter chicken. If you want something with a bit more bite, try the chicken tikka masala.
Why fenugreek matters
Kasuri methi, the dried leaves of the fenugreek plant, is the ingredient most home cooks leave out, and it is the one that makes butter chicken taste like butter chicken. Crumbled into the sauce at the end, it adds a savoury, almost maple-like note that cuts through the cream.
Too much and the sauce turns bitter; too little and it tastes like a tomato soup. Getting that balance right is a big part of why restaurant butter chicken tastes different from a jar.
Is butter chicken spicy?
No. It is one of the mildest dishes on most Indian menus, ours included. The spices are there for aroma rather than heat, which is why it is the dish we suggest to guests trying Indian food for the first time and to families with children.
If you want more heat, ask for it when you order. And if you are looking for other mild dishes, the spice and heat guide lists them, from korma to mango chicken.
Butter chicken at home
Butter chicken travels well, which makes it one of the most ordered dishes on our takeaway menu. Reheat it gently in a saucepan with a splash of water rather than in the microwave on high, so the cream does not split. A garlic naan and a bowl of saffron or jeera rice make it a full meal.
Quick answers
Who invented butter chicken?
It is credited to the cooks at Moti Mahal, a restaurant in Delhi, in the late 1940s. Kundan Lal Gujral, one of its founders, is the name most often linked to the dish, although the exact story is still argued about.
What is butter chicken called in India?
Murgh makhani. Murgh means chicken and makhani means buttery.
Is butter chicken gluten free?
The curry itself is usually made without wheat, but always check with the team when you order if you have coeliac disease. Naan contains gluten, so pair it with steamed basmati or saffron rice instead.
What goes best with butter chicken?
Garlic naan to mop up the sauce, jeera or saffron rice, and a crisp side such as onion bhaji. To drink, an off-dry Riesling, a lightly oaked Chardonnay or a cold lager.
Can I get it for takeaway?
Yes. Butter chicken is on our takeaway menu for pickup or local delivery around East Victoria Park.
