Ingredients
Amounts are for the recipe. Sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.
Sauce
Option A: paneer
Option B: chicken thighs
Amounts worked out from the other system are rounded.
Method
Marinate the chicken (option B only). Mix the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, garam masala, lemon juice and salt from the chicken list. Toss with the thighs and refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to 24.
Cook the base. Heat the oil (14 g1 tbsp) and butter (14 g1 tbsp). Add the whole spices, if using, then the onion, and cook until soft. Add the ginger-garlic paste (1 tbsp) and green chili and cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes (400 g), the drained cashews (12–15) and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes collapse.
Blend. Take out the bay leaf and cinnamon. Cool slightly, blend completely smooth with a splash of water, and strain through a sieve.
Build the gravy. Melt the butter (14 g1 tbsp) in the same pan. Stir in the chili powder (1–2 tsp) for 10 seconds, then pour in the purée. Thin with water until pourable and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until the raw tomato taste is gone.
Season. Add the sugar (2–4 g½–1 tsp), salt, the garam masala (½ tsp) and the kasuri methi (1 tsp), crushed between your palms. The sauce can be cooled and refrigerated at this point.
Prepare the protein. Paneer: soak the cubes in warm salted water for 10 minutes, then drain. Chicken: wipe off the excess marinade and sear in a very hot pan with the oil or ghee, in batches so the pieces don't steam, until charred at the edges. Or broil on a sheet pan on high for 8 to 12 minutes, turning once. It doesn't need to be cooked through yet.
Combine. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Paneer: add it and simmer 2 to 3 minutes; don't boil hard. Chicken: add it and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until it reaches 175–185°F inside.
Finish. Stir in the cream (60–75 g¼–⅓ cup) and the butter (14 g1 tbsp), then take it off the heat. Garnish with a swirl of cream and a pinch of kasuri methi. Serve with naan, roti or jeera rice.
Notes
- What makes it makhani. The base is blended completely smooth and strained, mildly spiced and slightly sweet, then finished with butter, cream and kasuri methi. Skip the kasuri methi or the straining and it tastes like a generic tomato curry. The straining matters more than any spice.
- Kashmiri chili powder is there for color more than heat; regular chili powder tastes harsh. The sugar balances the tomato. Stricter makhani leaves out the onion.
- Cashew butter. About 1½ tbsp unsalted, unsweetened cashew butter replaces the cashews. Blend it in with the cooked tomatoes.
- Chicken. Don't skip the sear and poach the thighs raw in the sauce; the charred edges carry much of the flavor. Wipe the marinade, don't rinse it. Thighs are safe at 165°F but have better texture at 175–185°F.
- Paneer. The soak keeps it soft. Don't boil it hard in the sauce or it toughens.
- Make ahead. Stop after step 5. The sauce keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated, or freezes for about 3 months. Reheat gently with a splash of water and add the cream and final butter then. Thighs can be cooked into the sauce a day or two ahead; paneer is best added the day you serve.
- Troubleshooting. Too sour: the tomatoes were underripe or undercooked, so add sugar and simmer longer. Grainy: blend and strain more. Flat: it needs kasuri methi or salt, or a small squeeze of lemon after the cream.
- Chicken breast. Use 500 g in bite-size pieces and marinate 1 to 4 hours only. Sear until just cooked through, 165°F inside, then simmer in the sauce with the cream and butter for 2 to 3 minutes.