bitchinsahsa,

i had a friend stopping over who likes "butter" chicken. i don't know what it tastes like from a BIR and would never go for it.

i took your recipe and adapted it aiming for BIR. i questioned the friend on what it should taste like and we came up with the following recipe.

it was a real success. i must admit i even liked it myself. the yellow sticky that i've got the recipe on has gone into my recipe book. many thanks to u.

2 tbsp veg oil
1 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp tom puree in water (1:2)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garam masala (branded - i used East End)
1/2 tsp spice mix (i used kushi)
1/4 tsp chilli
300ml base
1 chef passata
2 tbsp honey
1 chef carnation
1 tbsp butter (i used marg, KTC)
2 tsp frozen fresh coriander
1 tsp lemon juice

billycat,

no probs. i use this standard method for all the curries i make. i aim for 3 stages: oil, spice, base (2 & 3 below being stage 2).

1) gas on full and oil & garlic into pan straight away - stir and cook until garlic starts to brown (not long 30 secs, better under than over cooked, u're just getting the rawness out)
2) pan off heat. add tom puree, spices, 1/2 ladle base (75ml) or water (if base is not thin, u're after some water to stop the spices burning) and give it a good stir. be careful not to take too long as the garlic is continuing to fry in the oil due to the residual heat in the pan
3) pan on heat and leave without stirring for something like 1 min. this is difficult to spot. if in doubt stop early. use the spoon to check around the rim of the pan. u're looking for it to just starting to dry out. add base straight away and give it a good stir to clear the bottom of the pan particularly around the base of the rim.
4) pan off or on. add passata, carnation, honey, butter, fresh coriander, lemon juice and stir. should be quite runny/thin - add some water if not. then cook for about 3 mins until the surface starts to crater or oil is on the surface. stir now and again (i swosh it sideways and then around the rim). i keep the heat on full but turning down the heat works just the same.

the start to finish is ~5 mins.

i think u could use cream instead of carnation (i just have carnation to hand).

Heres a recipe I found somewhere, I have tried it and it comes out quite good cut back on the chilli if you prefer it mild.

MURG MAKHANI RECIPE

Ingredients:
Chicken Marination
800 gms Chicken Pieces (boneless)
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tblsp sour Curd
2 tsp Ginger Paste
2 tsp Garlic Paste
1 tblsp lemon juice
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 Onion paste
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Few drops of orange color

Gravy
4 large tomatoes chopped
4 tblsp Butter
1 tblsp Fresh Cream
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
2 tsp Ginger finely chopped
2 tsp Green Chilly finely chopped
2 tsp (10ml) ground almonds
1/4 tsp (1ml) crushed saffron
salt to taste
sugar to taste

Garnish
Melted Butter
Fresh Cream
Coriander Leaves finely chopped

How to make murgh makhani :
Make small cuts in the chicken pieces.
Mix all the marinate ingredients. Mix the the chicken pieces and the marinate.
Let the chicken marinate for a few hours.

Take half the butter in a heavy bottom wok and put in the chicken with the marinade. Cover it and cook till the chicken is fully cooked. Stir fry the chicken for some time.
Now heat the remaining butter in a saucepan and add the red chilli, coriander, cumin and black pepper powders.
Fry for some time then add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, salt, saffron and cook on medium flame till the puree thickens and the fat separates.
Add the beaten cream and cook on low flame for few minutes.
Then add the chicken pieces along with chopped ginger, almonds and green chillies to the gravy. Cover and simmer on low heat till the curry is hot simmering hot.
While serving pour the melted butter and garnish with fresh cream and finely chopped coriander leaves.
Serve the Murgh Makhani hot with rice or naan.

Try cooking the sauce down further before adding the meat. i.e. further cooking of the sauce to reduce the water content in that sauce will make it a more thicker luscious consistency

For what it's worth guy's, my understanding is, Butter Chicken or Murg Makhani, is the authentic Indian dish that CTM is very loosely based on? So I believe that cream should be in there?

Ray