Butter Chicken

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trace: Butter Chicken

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Last updated Oct 12, 2026. We re-ranked the weekly top 100.

ONLINE	ANCESTOR
Butter Chicken #46 · dinner · indian Host: BBC Good Food · Butter chicken → YouTube → web writeups Online recipe (as published / commonly shared) Serves 4 · Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card. A quick, mild version of the creamy Indian curry. Heat in a large pan: 25g butter Fry over a medium heat for 5 mins until soft: 1 onion halved and finely sliced Add and continue to fry until turning golden brown: 4 skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks Add: 2 tbsp garam masala 3 garlic cloves crushed 1 tbsp finely grated ginger 500g passata Leave to simmer, uncovered, for 20 mins. Just before serving, stir in: 2 tbsp cashew nut butter 50ml double cream Season to taste and serve scattered with: handful coriander chopped Serve with these on the side: cooked rice to serve wilted spinach to serve Source: BBC Good Food · Butter chicken tags: chicken,tomato,butter,cream,spice · popularity: evergreen · meat: yes	Chicken in a Butter Sauce (Makkhani Murghi) Book: Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey (1982) crumb: chicken in tomato, butter and cream gravy Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking includes “Chicken in a Butter Sauce (Makkhani Murghi)”. Madhur Jaffrey wrote it (1982). This book makes Indian home cooking easy in Western kitchens. It covers dals, spice mixes, curries, breads and regional flavors. Differences: Popular internet butter chicken simmers chicken chunks with garam masala, garlic and ginger in passata (strained tomatoes). It then finishes it with cashew butter and cream. The ancestor is Jaffrey's butter chicken. She finishes cooked chicken in a tomato, butter and cream sauce. Both are chicken in a spiced tomato, butter and cream gravy. The popular online shortcut skips the first tandoori-style cooking and adds cashew.

ONLINE

ANCESTOR

Butter Chicken
#46 · dinner · indian
Host: BBC Good Food · Butter chicken → YouTube → web writeups

Online recipe (as published / commonly shared)

Serves 4 · Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min

We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card.

A quick, mild version of the creamy Indian curry.

Heat in a large pan:

25g butter

Fry over a medium heat for 5 mins until soft:

1 onion halved and finely sliced

Add and continue to fry until turning golden brown:

4 skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks

Add:

2 tbsp garam masala

3 garlic cloves crushed

1 tbsp finely grated ginger

500g passata

Leave to simmer, uncovered, for 20 mins.

Just before serving, stir in:

2 tbsp cashew nut butter

50ml double cream

Season to taste and serve scattered with:

handful coriander chopped

Serve with these on the side:

cooked rice to serve

wilted spinach to serve

Source: BBC Good Food · Butter chicken

tags: chicken,tomato,butter,cream,spice · popularity: evergreen · meat: yes

Chicken in a Butter Sauce (Makkhani Murghi)
Book: Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey (1982)

crumb: chicken in tomato, butter and cream gravy

Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking includes “Chicken in a Butter Sauce (Makkhani Murghi)”. Madhur Jaffrey wrote it (1982). This book makes Indian home cooking easy in Western kitchens. It covers dals, spice mixes, curries, breads and regional flavors.

Differences:

Popular internet butter chicken simmers chicken chunks with garam masala, garlic and ginger in passata (strained tomatoes). It then finishes it with cashew butter and cream. The ancestor is Jaffrey's butter chicken. She finishes cooked chicken in a tomato, butter and cream sauce. Both are chicken in a spiced tomato, butter and cream gravy. The popular online shortcut skips the first tandoori-style cooking and adds cashew.

Match: Somewhat close

Online recipe

Butter Chicken

Online recipe (as published / commonly shared)
Serves 4 · Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min

We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card.

A quick, mild version of the creamy Indian curry.

Heat in a large pan:
    25g butter

Fry over a medium heat for 5 mins until soft:
    1 onion halved and finely sliced

Add and continue to fry until turning golden brown:
    4 skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks

Add:
    2 tbsp garam masala
    3 garlic cloves crushed
    1 tbsp finely grated ginger
    500g passata

Leave to simmer, uncovered, for 20 mins.

Just before serving, stir in:
    2 tbsp cashew nut butter
    50ml double cream

Season to taste and serve scattered with:
    handful coriander chopped

Serve with these on the side:
    cooked rice to serve
    wilted spinach to serve

Citations
- BBC Good Food · Butter chicken: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/butter-chicken
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Butter+Chicken
- web writeups: https://www.google.com/search?q=Butter+Chicken+recipe

Cookbook ancestor
- Affiliate: buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0764156497?tag=recipeancesto-20
- Reference: Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey (1982). Publisher: B E S Pub Co, 2003 edition, hardcover, ISBN 978-0764156496.

We put this together for personal use. See the citations.

Trace receipt

Dish: Butter Chicken
Match: Somewhat close
Ancestor: Chicken in a Butter Sauce (Makkhani Murghi)
Source: Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey (1982)
Differences: Popular internet butter chicken simmers chicken chunks with garam masala, garlic and ginger in passata (strained tomatoes). It then finishes it with cashew butter and cream. The ancestor is Jaffrey's butter chicken. She finishes cooked chicken in a tomato, butter and cream sauce. Both are chicken in a spiced tomato, butter and cream gravy. The popular online shortcut skips the first tandoori-style cooking and adds cashew.
Book recipe: We do not offer this for print or share because it is not public domain. Buy or borrow the book.
Online sources: BBC Good Food · Butter chicken (https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/butter-chicken)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Butter+Chicken)
web writeups (https://www.google.com/search?q=Butter+Chicken+recipe)
Date: Sep 2026

Source: what this book is
Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey (1982).
This book makes Indian home cooking easy in Western kitchens. It covers dals, spice mixes, curries, breads and regional flavors.

Affiliate: buy the book

Reference: Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey (1982). Publisher: B E S Pub Co, 2003 edition, hardcover, ISBN 978-0764156496.

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Butter Chicken

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Related

Same meal (dinner)

Same cuisine (indian)

Same book (Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking)