Makhani Sauce - The Ultimate Butter Chicken Sauce

Humble Beginnings - Roots in Delhi

Makhani sauce was born from the first Butter Chicken made in a small sweet shop, eventually renamed to the first Moti Mahal by businessman called Kundan Lal Gujral. He sought to revive drying skewers of tandoori chicken and created a basic sauce with tomatoes, butter, cream and some Indian spices. And the rest, as they say, is history.

What Makes a Great Butter Chicken Sauce?

No Onions!

If you see a butter chicken or paneer makhani recipe that uses onions - red onion or yellow onions, it doesn’t matter! - to bring “body” or “thickness” to the sauce, turn around and run away. But seriously, traditionally, a makhani sauce is made of butter, tomatoes and cream, hence the name “makhan” which is Hindi for butter.

Incorrect Spices

There is most definitely NOT coriander powder and cumin powder in an authentic butter chicken sauce!!

A Balanced & Tangy Flavor

Most people either associate the sauce to a spicy Indian curry or an overly sweet dish. This can be made with Tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, or paneer for vegetarians. When in reality, the sauce should strike the perfect, playful balance between sweet and spicy.

A great time saver and alternative to using fresh tomatoes is using Italian pureed tomatoes, also known as Passata.

It is great for creating a perfectly smooth gravy, since it is already strained and contains no tomato peels.

It is sweet and tangy and is consistent in flavor, so you can guarantee each batch of the sauce will taste the same.

And lastly, it is such a time saver!

Aromatic & Rich Gravy

Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can have complete control over the flavor of the dish. Butter adds a shine and smoothness to this sauce and is an essential part of, well, makhani (buttery) sauce. You can adjust the amount of butter to your liking, but be aware that the final gravy may not taste the same.

Cardamom: Known as the Queen of all spices due to its extravagant, intoxicating aroma. Usually associated with green cardamom, the flavors are slightly sweet, minty and pine-like and adds a wonderful scent to the sauce once the tomatoes are blended in the food processor. There are also several healing and health benefits from cardamom, you can read more about it here.

Mace: Usually used in Indian cuisine, this spice grows on the outside kernel of the nutmeg. In terms of flavour, it is a much more subtle version of nutmeg and helps enhance the sweetness and spiciness in the sauce.

Cashews: These really help add richness and naturally thicken the sauce. I enjoy roasting the cashews with the whole spices and butter to lightly roast the cashews. *You can omit this if you have a nut allergy

Ginger-Garlic Paste: This is essential for many Indian dishes, along with recipes of other cuisines. This mixture is made up of a ratio of 1 part ginger to 2 parts garlic. This helps add a grounded heat and spiciness to the dish. Since this is a restaurant-style recipe, the amount we’ll be using here is more than usual.

Deggi Mirch: This ingredient is key to add a natural red color to the gravy without the use of any artificial colours. Made from mild Kashmiri red chilies, they are not too spicy and can be easily found at an Indian grocer. You can also find it on Amazon.

Honey: Although sugar can be an alternative to honey, I strongly recommend that you use the latter. I find the sweetness from sugar is too intense, while honey carries a much softer, smoother sweetness which is much easier to control to reach the perfect level of balance between sweet and spicy in the sauce.

Dried Fenugreek Leaves: Also known as Kasoori Methi (or kasuri methi) in Hindi, these leaves are crushed before adding to the gravy. While bitter in taste when dry, once added to gravy, they “wake up!” and add a beautiful fragrance and sweetness to the sauce.

Garam masala: Usually added at the end of the cooking process, this combination of several roasted whole spices add the final touch of warmth and spice to the sauce.

Cream: Traditionally heavy cream is used to finish off the sauce and give it the signature orange colour, I find it is sometimes too rich. Instead, I prefer adding 10% cream, which helps thin out the gravy to my liking. Plus, when lightly simmer, it brings the same thickness without the extra calories.

Salt: Last but not least! Essential seasoning you’ll add to taste!

How to Make the Best Makhani Sauce!

1. In a large pot on medium heat, melt 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter. Add cardamom, mace and cashews. Sauté for a few minutes or until fragrant.
2. Add ginger-garlic paste, mix well and stir often to prevent it from sticking. Cook until the rawness of ginger and garlic has been cooked off, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add passata, mix well and bring to a simmer. Add deggi mirch and 1 tsp of salt. Mix well, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Stir every 2-3 minutes.
4. Add honey and remaining butter, mix well and continue cooking while stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat, transfer mixture to a food processor or blender. Puree the sauce completely, about 1-2 minutes.
5. Place a fine mesh sieve over the pot, pour the pureed sauce over the sieve, and using a spatula or wooden spoon, work the sauce through the mesh. This step requires some work but is well worth it to get an incredibly smooth sauce.
6. Crush the kasoori methi between the palms of your hand and add to the sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes to "wake up" the dried fenugreek leaves. The sauce may seem too thick at this stage, we'll fix that soon.
7. Pour cream and garam masala and stir well. The cream will bring the desired consistency. Cook for only 2-3 minutes, any further cooking will make the sauce too thick. If this happens, add more cream to adjust consistency.

Tips on Making the Greatest Butter Chicken Sauce

• Tomato sauce has a tendency to spit as it reduces, lower the heat, keep cooking and be careful.
• If the sauce becomes too thick, add more cream to adjust consistency. Be careful not to add too much cream or you will lose the signature orange colour. Use the colour of the sauce as a cue to adjust the amount of cream.