Moist, light and delicious red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting is an evergreen classic, that’s the right fit for any special occasion! Here’s a step-by-step recipe for the best eggless red velvet cake from scratch!
It was my DH’s birthday couple of weeks ago and I had made this eggless red velvet cake with tangy cream cheese frosting. We absolutely love that combination for cake and frosting, they just compliment each other so well, don’t you guys agree too?
Even though we eat eggs, I’m loving my recent egg free bakes. I would love to share these with you guys so you can enjoy these fail-proof eggless bakes with your loved ones 🙂 I’ve adapted this recipe from the crazy chocolate cake I had shared a few months earlier and it worked like a charm for this eggless red velvet cake recipe .
The only difference-
- Reduced cocoa powder to 2 Tbsp
- Replaced water with homemade buttermilk, by curdling milk with vinegar.
- WHAT IS RED VELVET CAKE | IS RED VELVET CAKE CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA?
- EGGLESS RED VELVET CAKE INGREDIENTS | WHAT’S IN A RED VELVET CAKE?
- HOW TO MAKE EGGLESS RED VELVET CAKE?
- YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE EGGLESS BAKES
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE EGGLESS RED VELVET CAKE
- HOW TO MAKE THE BEST EGGLESS RED VELVET CAKE?
- Eggless Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
WHAT IS RED VELVET CAKE | IS RED VELVET CAKE CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA?
Now, a red velvet cake is basically a mild chocolate cake dyed with red food color, frosted with a traditional French-style butter roux icing. But it isn’t a chocolat-y kind of cake. Theories suggest that the acidic agents used in making this cake reveal the red anthocyanin in cocoa powder, which in turn may also be the source of its name- “ Red Velvet “.
EGGLESS RED VELVET CAKE INGREDIENTS | WHAT’S IN A RED VELVET CAKE?
To make this eggless red velvet cake you will need cake flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt for the dry ingredients. Buttermilk (made by curdling milk with vinegar or lemon juice), oil, sugar, and vanilla extract for the wet ingredients. You will also need quite a lot of red food coloring since that is what makes red velvet cake red.
The cream cheese frosting consists of cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
I was oblivious of the fact that beets have been used in this cake since World War II. I thought it was a pretty recent attempt to make a healthier, red velvet cake. That is something I’d definitely like to try the next time I make this cake- a red velvet cake with beets. This is not something I bake frequently since so much food color is used. But an occasion calls for a celebration, which is incomplete without a cake.
HOW TO MAKE EGGLESS RED VELVET CAKE?
Once you gather your wet and dry ingredients, just mix both until combined, transfer to your prepared baking tin and bake. I love this ‘muffin method’ of preparing the cake batter. There is no need to use your stand mixer or hand beaters. You just need 2 bowls, a whisk, and a spatula. You have to remember to avoid over mixing the batter in such cases. Sure, there will be lumps, but as far as they are not big and you see no more flour pockets, the cake will turn out just fine, nice and light. Over mixing always results in a dense cake, due to the activation of gluten in the flour, so never over mix a cake or cookie batter.
This homemade eggless red velvet cake was all wiped off within a day! Yes, we do have a big sweet tooth! You would be in the same boat if you baked this ridiculously easy, delicious and moist, eggless red velvet cake with that cream cheese frosting! The cake is all over, and as I’m writing this post, I can’t help but crave for some more of that cake!
This recipe yields a decent 8 inch round cake, which can be halved in 2 layers, layered with generous icing. If you want a taller cake, bake two, 8 inch round cakes, so you have a 4 layered cake. You will also need to double the amount of icing.
You can also make red velvet cupcakes with this recipe, the baking time will be around 18-20 minutes. Keep an eye as each oven is different.
The best icing for red velvet cake is cream cheese frosting if you ask me. But you could use any icing of your choice.
If you are looking for an eggless red velvet cake recipe, look no further. I’m sure you will enjoy this simple red velvet cake recipe 🙂 So go ahead and give it a go!
- Eggless orange cupcakes
- Eggless mango loaf cake
- Eggless chocolate cupcakes
- Eggless marble cake
- Egg-free mango semolina cupcakes
- Date & Walnut cake (eggless)
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE EGGLESS RED VELVET CAKE
FOR THE EGGLESS RED VELVET CAKE BASE
1.Prepare an 88-inchcake pan. Grease the entire pan with oil and dust with flour. I placed a parchment paper at the bottom, for easy release of the cake from the pan. Also, preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C.
2 .Preparation of buttermilk – Measure out 1 cup of milk in your liquid measuring cup. Add 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar/lemon juice. Mix and leave it aside for 5-10 minutes. The milk will curdle, It is ready to be used in further steps.
3.Meanwhile, while you wait for the milk to curdle, prepare the dry ingredients. Sift all the dry ingredients from a height, in a mixing bowl. Whisk well and set aside. Sift 2-3 times for a lighter and airy cake.
4.Add the prepared buttermilk, oil, sugar, vanilla extract and red food color in another mixing bowl. Whisk well until everything is well combined and you have a homogeneous mixture.
5.Make a well in the bowl of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix just until combined and no more flour pockets are visible. Do not over mix, or you will end up with a pretty dense cake.
6.Transfer the batter to a the prepared cake tin, tap to remove air bubbles, bake at 350 F for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack, let it cool completely before frosting it.
FOR THE RED VELVET CAKE ICING (CREAM CHEESE FROSTING)
1.In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat softened butter and cream cheese on medium speed, until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. You may use an electric hand mixer too.
2.Add vanilla extract and lemon juice.
3.Also sift in 1 cup of powdered sugar, beat on low speed initially, so that the sugar is well incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
4.Sift in another cup of powdered sugar, and continue beating on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, another 2-3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar as required, for a thick, creamy and spreadable consistency. I used a total of 2.5 cups of powdered sugar, and it was the right consistency for layering and frosting the cake.
ASSEMBLING THE CAKE
1.You should get a flat-topped cake with this recipe. I sliced a very thin layer since I needed some crumbs for the decor. You can totally skip that and divide the cake into 2 layers with the help of a long serrated knife.
2.Transfer one layer to a turntable or a plate. Brush with sugar syrup.
3.Pipe out the cream cheese frosting using a plain, large piping tip, starting from the outer circumference towards the center. Smooth out the frosting with an offset spatula.
4.Place the second layer of cake, brush with sugar syrup and apply a very thin layer of the frosting on top and the sides of the cake, using an offset spatula. This is the crumb coat which seals stray crumbs before the application of the second and the final layer of frosting. Chill the cake for about 30 minutes or until the crumb coat is firm. Pipe out the cream cheese frosting using the same plain, large piping tip, starting from the outer circumference towards the center. Also, frost the sides. Smooth out the frosting with an offset spatula. Decorate with cake crumbs and grated white chocolate. Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes, so that the frosting sets well, and you have neat slices.
NOTES
1.The use of cake flour results in light and soft baked goods, due to the low protein content in the flour. It has just 2 ingredients- all-purpose flour and cornstarch. If you can’t find it, you can make your own cake flour. Here is how- Measure out 1 & 1/2 cups of all purpose flour (maida) -spooned and leveled. Then remove 3 tbsp of flour and replace it with 3 tbsp cornstarch. Whisk well. Then sift it along with other dry ingredients.
2.Make sure all the ingredients for the cake and frosting are at room temperature.
3.Here is a tip I follow for flat-topped cakes, it works great all the time. Put a handful of ice cubes in a small baking tin, or make a small box out of aluminum foil. Place it in the lowest rack, just before you begin baking the cake. It works beautifully. This works for any other cake as well. What happens on doing this? The moisture from the melting ice, helps the cake bake evenly, resulting in a flat top.
4.Some more tips… Never open the oven door during baking (as tempted as you may be), for at least the first 30 minutes. Opening the oven door, lets some of the heat out, lowering the temperature inside, which may cause the cake to collapse.
5.To measure the flour, never scoop the flour out directly, you will end up with more flour than called for as it ends up being tightly packed. Always spoon the flour into the cup until it overflows, then level it off with a knife.
6.Do not over mix wet and dry ingredients.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST EGGLESS RED VELVET CAKE?
Eggless Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients1x2x3x
Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
Dry ingredients
- 1.5 cups cake flour, spooned and leveled (Refer notes)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tbsp white vinegar/lemon juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil, flavorless (I used canola oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp red food color
For the sugar syrup
- 2 to 3 tbsp sugar dissolved in the same amount of water
For the cream cheese frosting
- 1/2 cup / 113 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup / 226 grams cream cheese, softened
- 2.5 cups confectioner’s/icing sugar, spooned and leveled (adjust as required)
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice, optional
Other ingredients
- Grated white chocolate, as required for garnish (optional)
Instructions
For the eggless red velvet cake base
- Prepare an 8-inch cake pan. Grease the entire pan with oil and dust with flour. I placed a parchment paper at the bottom, for easy release of the cake from the pan. Also, preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C.
- Preparation of buttermilk- Measure out 1 cup of milk in your liquid measuring cup. Add 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar/lemon juice. Mix and leave it aside for 5-10 minutes. The milk will curdle, It is ready to be used in further steps.
- Meanwhile, while you wait for the milk to curdle, prepare the dry ingredients. Sift all the dry ingredients from a height, in a mixing bowl. Whisk well and set aside. Sift 2-3 times for a lighter and airy cake.
- Add the prepared buttermilk, oil, sugar, vanilla extract and red food color in another mixing bowl. Whisk well until everything is well combined and you have a homogeneous mixture.
- Make a well in the bowl of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix just until combined and no more flour pockets are visible. Do not over mix, or you will end up with a pretty dense cake.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin, tap to remove air bubbles, bake at 350 F for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack, let it cool completely before frosting it.
For the red velvet cake icing (cream cheese frosting)
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat softened butter and cream cheese on medium speed, until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. You may use an electric hand mixer too.
- Add vanilla extract and lemon juice.
- Also, sift in 1 cup of powdered sugar, beat on low speed initially, so that the sugar is well incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Sift in another cup of powdered sugar, and continue beating on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, another 2-3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar as required, for a thick, creamy and spreadable consistency. I used a total of 2.5 cups of powdered sugar, and it was the right consistency for layering and frosting the cake.
Assembling the cake
- You should get a flat-topped cake with this recipe. I sliced a very thin layer since I needed some crumbs for the decor. You can totally skip that and divide the cake into 2 layers with the help of a long serrated knife.
- Transfer one layer to a turntable or a plate. Brush with sugar syrup.
- Pipe out the cream cheese frosting using a plain, large piping tip, starting from the outer circumference towards the center. Smooth out the frosting with an offset spatula.
- Place the second layer of cake, brush with sugar syrup and apply a very thin layer of the frosting on top and the sides of the cake, using an offset spatula. This is the crumb coat which seals stray crumbs before the application of the second and the final layer of frosting. Chill the cake for about 30 minutes or until the crumb coat is firm. Pipe out the cream cheese frosting using the same plain, large piping tip, starting from the outer circumference towards the center. Also, frost the sides. Smooth out the frosting with an offset spatula. Decorate with cake crumbs and grated white chocolate. Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes, so that the frosting sets well, and you have neat slices.
Notes
I would love to hear from you , please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at aromaticessence77@gmail.com
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Regards,
Freda
Eggless Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
Dry ingredients
- 1.5 cups cake flour, spooned and leveled (Refer notes)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tbsp white vinegar/lemon juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil, flavorless (I used canola oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp red food color
For the sugar syrup
- 2 to 3 tbsp sugar dissolved in the same amount of water
For the cream cheese frosting
- 1/2 cup / 113 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup / 226 grams cream cheese, softened
- 2.5 cups confectioner’s/icing sugar, spooned and leveled (adjust as required)
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice, optional
Other ingredients
- Grated white chocolate, as required for garnish (optional)
Instructions
For the eggless red velvet cake base
- Prepare an 8-inch cake pan. Grease the entire pan with oil and dust with flour. I placed a parchment paper at the bottom, for easy release of the cake from the pan. Also, preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C.
- Preparation of buttermilk- Measure out 1 cup of milk in your liquid measuring cup. Add 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar/lemon juice. Mix and leave it aside for 5-10 minutes. The milk will curdle, It is ready to be used in further steps.
- Meanwhile, while you wait for the milk to curdle, prepare the dry ingredients. Sift all the dry ingredients from a height, in a mixing bowl. Whisk well and set aside. Sift 2-3 times for a lighter and airy cake.
- Add the prepared buttermilk, oil, sugar, vanilla extract and red food color in another mixing bowl. Whisk well until everything is well combined and you have a homogeneous mixture.
- Make a well in the bowl of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix just until combined and no more flour pockets are visible. Do not over mix, or you will end up with a pretty dense cake.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin, tap to remove air bubbles, bake at 350 F for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack, let it cool completely before frosting it.
For the red velvet cake icing (cream cheese frosting)
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat softened butter and cream cheese on medium speed, until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. You may use an electric hand mixer too.
- Add vanilla extract and lemon juice.
- Also, sift in 1 cup of powdered sugar, beat on low speed initially, so that the sugar is well incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Sift in another cup of powdered sugar, and continue beating on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, another 2-3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar as required, for a thick, creamy and spreadable consistency. I used a total of 2.5 cups of powdered sugar, and it was the right consistency for layering and frosting the cake.
Assembling the cake
- You should get a flat-topped cake with this recipe. I sliced a very thin layer since I needed some crumbs for the decor. You can totally skip that and divide the cake into 2 layers with the help of a long serrated knife.
- Transfer one layer to a turntable or a plate. Brush with sugar syrup.
- Pipe out the cream cheese frosting using a plain, large piping tip, starting from the outer circumference towards the center. Smooth out the frosting with an offset spatula.
- Place the second layer of cake, brush with sugar syrup and apply a very thin layer of the frosting on top and the sides of the cake, using an offset spatula. This is the crumb coat which seals stray crumbs before the application of the second and the final layer of frosting. Chill the cake for about 30 minutes or until the crumb coat is firm. Pipe out the cream cheese frosting using the same plain, large piping tip, starting from the outer circumference towards the center. Also, frost the sides. Smooth out the frosting with an offset spatula. Decorate with cake crumbs and grated white chocolate. Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes, so that the frosting sets well, and you have neat slices.
Notes
This Indian Butter chicken | Murgh Makhani | Chicken Makhani | Chicken Makhanwala | Chicken butter masala, call it what you may, is the real deal butter chicken, creamy, buttery and absolutely delicious! Skip takeout and make it at home instead with this recipe in simple steps!
India boasts of a number of chicken curries across the length and breadth of the country! But none tops the list like Murgh makhani , the one dish that requires no introduction. It is amongst the top Indian dishes and rightfully deserves to be! It is as popular and loved in India as it is globally.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to taste this dish yet, you are definitely missing out on something. If you are a butter chicken fan, today’s post is for you. Read on to know some fun facts, its origin and how to make it at home!
- WHAT IS BUTTER CHICKEN?
- WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF BUTTER CHICKEN?
- HOW TO MAKE INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN?
- HOW TO MAKE BUTTER CHICKEN SAUCE | MAKHANI SAUCE?
- IS BUTTER CHICKEN SPICY?
- WHAT TO SERVE WITH BUTTER CHICKEN?
- BUTTER CHICKEN VS CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
- ENJOYED THIS HOMEMADE BUTTER CHICKEN? HERE ARE SOME MORE TOP INDIAN DISHES TO TRY
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTION TO MAKE INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN | MURGH MAKHANI | CHICKEN MAKHANI
- HOW TO MAKE BUTTER CHICKEN?
- Butter Chicken Recipe | How To Make Butter Chicken | Murgh Makhani
WHAT IS BUTTER CHICKEN?
Butter chicken is a mildly spiced Indian chicken curry. In this dish, chicken pieces are marinated with yogurt and spices are grilled in a tandoor and then dunked in an ambrosial, buttery, creamy, nutty, luxurious tomato based gravy- yumm!
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF BUTTER CHICKEN?
I love to know the history behind the origin of these dishes. Murgh makhani has a rather interesting history. Have you heard about it?
Kundan Lal Gujral, the founder of Moti Mahal restaurant in New Delhi, India invented Butter chicken. The man who invented tandoori chicken (and I think the world can’t thank him enough for the genius gastronomical creation) also happens to be the creator of this wonderful dish. In order to avoid wastage of leftovers, he used these grilled chicken pieces in a rich tomato, butter, and cream based sauce to create what we have today, Butter Chicken! {Wiki}.
HOW TO MAKE INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN?
You will come across many variations of this dish, as each restaurant/hotel/chef have their own unique take on this classic!
The preparation of butter chicken requires 2 steps,
- Making tandoori chicken
- Butter chicken sauce
HOW TO MAKE BUTTER CHICKEN SAUCE | MAKHANI SAUCE?
To prepare an authentic Indian butter chicken recipe you start off by cooking tomatoes with spices like cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom. The spices are discarded and the tomatoes are pureed and strained. This is the base of the makhani sauce. Then this sauce is cooked in butter, ginger garlic paste, and a few spices.
It is finished off with some more butter, fresh cream and that little bit of dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri/kasoori methi) which give this dish its characteristic taste.
Do not skip out on the dried fenugreek leaves, it is an important element in this dish, it’s distinct bitter, yet earthy flavor cannot be missed! It is easily available in most Indian grocery stores.
A little bit of honey is added to balance out the tartness of the tomatoes.
You don’t really need a butter chicken spice mix to make this dish. The only spice powders you would need are some ground cumin, cayenne or paprika, depending on your heat tolerance and some garam masala, and the most important as I’ve mentioned above is the dried fenugreek leaves! A must!
Once you have the sauce prepared, add your grilled chicken tandoori pieces and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes to absorb all that deliciousness! I’ve shared some make-ahead tips in notes, so don’t forget to check it out.
Some restaurants serve red butter chicken, which is nothing but regular butter chicken enhanced with some reddish-orange color and does not affect the taste. You can food coloring to the chicken marinade or the sauce.
That’s all there is to a simple butter chicken sauce!
IS BUTTER CHICKEN SPICY?
Like, I’ve mentioned it is mildly spiced and a little on the sweeter side. But you can increase the heat if you like a spicy butter chicken. Totally, up to you and that’s the best part of making it at home. You can always customize it to suit your palate.
So instead of wondering where you could get the best butter chicken, use this recipe and make some at home, from scratch! This is the best ever butter chicken recipe !
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BUTTER CHICKEN?
- Naan/ Kulcha/garlic kulcha or any other flatbread
- Steamed rice/pilaf or jeera rice
BUTTER CHICKEN VS CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
There are quite a few subtle differences between these two-
- Butter chicken is a mildly spiced curry, flavored with lots of butter and cream. Makhani literally means buttery, and that refers to the rich mouthfeel of butter chicken curry. Chicken tikka masala, on the other hand, is a more rustic preparation, it uses more spices like cumin, turmeric, coriander, chilli powder and garam masala. It also uses a little yogurt in the curry unlike the curry for chicken makhani. Some chefs also add bell peppers to the tikka masala curry.
- Chicken on bones is traditionally used to make butter chicken, but somehow the use of boneless chicken has become more popular amongst the masses. Chicken tikka masala is made with boneless grilled chicken pieces.
- Onions are not a part of the authentic makhani sauce, but certain chefs add it to bulk up the sauce. Whereas chicken tikka masala has a basic onion tomato curry base.
I have used ready made tomato purée (canned tomato sauce) for this recipe, which also quickens the process of preparing this dish, making it an easy 20 minute or less recipe , once you have the grilled chicken ready.
If you would like to use fresh tomatoes, you can follow the recipe for paneer makhani, use the same curry base and add grilled chicken instead of paneer to make Punjabi murgh makhani. I love to use fresh, plum tomatoes for this recipe when they are in season, or else the canned stuff works great too for once in a while.
As complex and intimidating as this dish looks, it is really a cinch to pull it off.
This restaurant-style butter chicken is definitely not your everyday dish, considering the amount of calories that go into a single serving! This fits the bill for cheat days, or apt for those times when you want to have a nice, soul-satisfying curry. To make a healthy butter chicken, refer notes for substitutes.
Check out the stepwise pictorial below, to make a quick yet tasty butter chicken . Forget takeout and make your own, your family and friends would definitely be helping themselves with seconds.
ENJOYED THIS HOMEMADE BUTTER CHICKEN? HERE ARE SOME MORE TOP INDIAN DISHES TO TRY
- Tandoori Chicken
- Malai Kofta
- Shahi Paneer
- Paneer Makhani
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTION TO MAKE INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN | MURGH MAKHANI | CHICKEN MAKHANI
FOR THE TANDOORI CHICKEN
1.Add chicken pieces in a large bowl. Pat dry with a napkin so that the marinade sticks to it. Add all the ingredients listed under for the chicken marinade.
2.Mix well and let it marinate for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
3.Thread chicken pieces onto skewers (if using bamboo skewers, immerse them in water for 30 minutes prior to using). Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Grill for about 20 minutes, turning sides once or until the chicken is cooked through. Broil for an additional 3-4 minutes to get that charred look. You can also fry it on the stove top instead of cooking in the oven.
FOR THE BUTTER CHICKEN SAUCE
1.Whilst the chicken is grilling, prepare the curry. Heat 3 tablespoons butter plus oil in a heavy bottomed pan/ kadai, add whole spices.
2.When the spices become fragrant add ginger garlic green chilli paste. Sauté until fragrant.
3.Add tomato purée, mix well with the seasoned butter, cover and let it cook on medium heat until it leaves fat. Stir in between to prevent any sticking at the bottom of the pan. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
4.Now add salt to season, sugar to balance out the tartness of the tomatoes, kasuri methi, red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, and garam masala. Sauté it on medium heat for another minute.
5.Add cashew nut paste, sauté it on medium heat another 1-2 minutes until it leaves fat at the sides of the wok.
6.Add 3/4 to 1 cup water (adjust as per desired consistency, add about 1/2 cup water for very thick sauce), mix well and bring to a boil. Check for seasonings and adjust now.
7.Add grilled chicken pieces, mix well and let it simmer covered for another 10 minutes.
8.Finally add the cream and 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter, mix well and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Finish it off with a little sprinkle of kasuri methi. Switch off the heat and serve with pilaf or any flatbread!
NOTES
- Low-calorie version : Replace butter with olive oil, you can reduce the cashew nuts or used blanched almonds, and replace heavy cream/malai with milk. I do not recommend adding yogurt in place of cream, it changes the flavor profile of the dish. Honestly, with these substitutes, it won’t taste like the real deal butter chicken, but it is still going to be delicious nonetheless.
2.If you have tandoori masala, use that instead of the individual spices, you can skip the garam masala & red chilli powder in the marinade.
- Make ahead tip – Marinate the chicken and refrigerate until you ready to assemble the dish. Prepare the curry base up to step 5. Once it cools down, you can refrigerate the curry base. When you are ready to assemble the dish, bring the chicken to room temperature and grill, also transfer the curry base to a heavy bottomed pot/kadai, add water, bring to a boil, then follow the last 3 steps.
HOW TO MAKE BUTTER CHICKEN?
Butter Chicken Recipe | How To Make Butter Chicken | Murgh Makhani
Ingredients1x2x3x
Measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 700 grams chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the marinade
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3/4 to 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- Few blades of javitri (mace)
- 1/4 cup hung curd/Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
For the butter chicken sauce
- 1 cup tomato purée (8 oz can of tomato sauce)
- 1 inch ginger + 4 big garlic cloves + 2-3 green chillies (make a fine paste)
- Whole spices (1 bay leaf, 1-inch cinnamon, 3 green cardamoms, 2 cloves, few blades of mace,5 -6 peppercorns)
- 7-10 cashew nuts/almonds, soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes, ground to a smooth paste
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 to 2 tsp sugar/honey, adjust according to the sourness of the tomatoes
- 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), dry roasted and crushed between palms
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of heavy cream/fresh malai
- 4 to 5 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
For the tandoori chicken
- Add chicken pieces in a large bowl. Pat dry with a napkin so that the marinade sticks to it. Add all the ingredients listed under for the chicken marinade.
- Mix well and let it marinate for about 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Thread chicken pieces onto skewers (if using bamboo skewers, immerse them in water for 30 minutes prior to using). Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Grill for about 20 minutes, turning sides once or until the chicken is cooked through. Broil for an additional 3-4 minutes to get that charred look. You can also fry it on the stove top instead of cooking in the oven.
For the butter chicken sauce
- Whilst the chicken is grilling, prepare the curry. Heat 3 tablespoons butter plus oil in a heavy bottomed pan/ kadai, add whole spices.
- When the spices become fragrant add ginger garlic green chilli paste. Sauté until fragrant.
- Add tomato purée, mix well with the seasoned butter, cover and let it cook on medium heat until it leaves fat. Stir in between to prevent any sticking at the bottom of the pan. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
- Now add salt to season, sugar to balance out the tartness of the tomatoes, kasuri methi, red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder and garam masala. Sauté it on medium heat for another minute.
- Add cashew nut paste, sauté it on medium heat another 1-2 minutes until it leaves fat at the sides of the wok.
- Add 3/4 to 1 cup water (adjust as per desired consistency, add about 1/2 cup water for very thick sauce), mix well and bring to a boil. Check for seasonings and adjust now.
- Add grilled chicken pieces, mix well and let it simmer covered for another 10 minutes.
- Finally, add the cream and 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter, mix well and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Finish it off with a little sprinkle of kasuri methi. Switch off the heat and serve with pilaf or any flatbread!
Notes
- Low-calorie version : Replace butter with olive oil, you can reduce the cashew nuts or used blanched almonds, and replace heavy cream/malai with milk. I do not recommend adding yogurt in place of cream, it changes the flavor profile of the dish. Honestly, with these substitutes, it won’t taste like the real deal butter chicken, but it is still going to be delicious nonetheless.
- If you have tandoori masala, use that instead of the individual spices, you can skip the garam masala & red chilli powder in the marinade.
- Make ahead tip- Marinate the chicken and refrigerate until you ready to assemble the dish. Prepare the curry base up to step 5. Once it cools down, you can refrigerate the curry base. When you are ready to assemble the dish, bring the chicken to room temperature and grill, also transfer the curry base to a heavy bottomed pot/kadai, add water, bring to a boil, then follow the last 3 steps.
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Regards,
Freda
