Butter chicken is a rich and creamy Indian curry that is extremely popular in the UK and Commonwealth countries. It is made with chicken and butter, yes, but that’s where the similarities stop.
This distinct Indian dish is an aromatic blend of spices that are cooked in a buttery sauce, giving it its unique flavour.
The exact spices used to make butter chicken vary between Indian chefs and home cooks, but it is usually a blend of cumin, cardamom, fennel, coriander, cloves, cinnamon and black peppercorns.
The butter is added to the sauce as a thickening agent as well as to provide extra richness and depth of flavour.
The dish is usually finished with cream or yogurt, which also adds a hint of tanginess and balances the rich, buttery flavour. Butter chicken is often served with naan or rice and a rich side sauce, such as mango chutney.
Butter chicken and Chicken Makhan are essentially the same things with different variations possible.
Butter chicken is a popular dish from India. It is made by cooking chicken with butter and spices, such as cardamom, clove, and garlic. Chicken makhan is also made with chicken and butter. However, it can cooked with different spices, such as black pepper and red chili powder. It can also be cooked with yogurt or coconut milk instead of butter.
Chicken makhan can be eaten with naan bread or rice or even with roti. butter chicken vs chicken makhan In addition, while both are made with chicken, butter chicken also has tomatoes, onions, and cream in it.
What is butter chicken?
Butter chicken is an Indian dish made with chicken and butter. The chicken is first fried in ghee, or clarified butter, before being cooked with aromatics in a sauce made from tomatoes, peppers, onions and spices. The sauce is finally tempered with cream or yogurt and thickened with butter.
Chicken makhani
Chicken makhani is a dish predominantly from northern India, but can also be found in parts of western India. The name makhani means ‘spiced chicken’ and it is often confused with butter chicken. The two dishes have similar origins, but there are some differences.
While both dishes are made with chicken, makhani uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs, while butter chicken uses drumstick or thigh pieces.
Chicken makhani is also cooked in a buttery sauce, while butter chicken is spicier and finished with a sour tang.
The other difference is in the spices used to make the sauces. While butter chicken is usually a blend of cumin, cardamom, fennel, coriander, cloves, cinnamon and black peppercorns, makhani uses garam masala, bay leaf and turmeric.
Where is butter chicken from?
Butter chicken is an Indian dish and is believed to have originated in the northern city of Lahore. It is a specialty of the Indian state of Punjab and is also found in restaurants in nearby Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and Delhi.
Differences between butter chicken and chicken makhani
The primary difference between butter chicken and chicken makhani is in the type of chicken used. Chicken makhani is made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, while butter chicken is made with drumstick or thigh pieces. The other difference is in the spices used to prepare the dishes.
Once again as stated they are very similar dish with different variations possible.
While both dishes are made with chicken, makhani uses garam masala, bay leaf and turmeric, while butter chicken uses cumin, cardamom, fennel, coriander, cloves, cinnamon and black peppercorns.
Conclusion
Butter chicken is a rich and creamy Indian curry that is extremely popular in the UK and Commonwealth countries. It is made with chicken and butter, yes, but that’s where the similarities stop.
This distinct Indian dish is an aromatic blend of spices that are cooked in a buttery sauce, giving it its unique flavour.
The exact spices used to make butter chicken vary between Indian chefs and home cooks, but it is usually a blend of cumin, cardamom, fennel, coriander, cloves, cinnamon and black peppercorns.