Butter Chicken/Murg Makhani

Butter Chicken Recipe (Murgh Makhani)

Butter Chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, is one of the most loved dishes in Indian cuisine. Juicy chicken pieces are marinated in aromatic spices and yogurt, then simmered in a rich, creamy tomato-based gravy. This recipe gives you restaurant-style butter chicken at home – perfect with naan, parathas, or steamed basmati rice.

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade:

• 500 g chicken (washed and cleaned)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tbsp hung curd (thick yogurt)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp gram flour (besan)
• A few drops of mustard oil
• Salt to taste

For the Gravy:

• 2 medium onions (roughly chopped)
• 3–4 ripe red tomatoes (roughly chopped)
• 1-inch ginger piece
• 5–6 garlic cloves (or 1 tbsp paste)
• 8–10 cashew nuts
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp butter + 1 tsp oil
• 2 tbsp fresh cream
• 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• ½ tsp garam masala powder

Method

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken

1. Mix chicken with lemon juice, chili powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala, hung curd, ginger-garlic paste, besan, mustard oil, and salt.
2. Marinate for at least 1–2 hours (30 minutes if short on time).

Step 2: Cook the Chicken

1. Heat a wide-bottomed pan with a little oil.
2. Shallow fry the marinated chicken pieces until browned on both sides.
3. Remove and set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the Gravy

1. In the same pan, sauté onions until golden.
2. Add butter, ginger-garlic paste, salt, sugar, and chili powders. Sauté well.
3. Add tomatoes and cashews. Cook for 1–2 minutes, then add water and simmer.
4. Blend into a smooth paste once slightly cooled.

Step 4: Assemble the Butter Chicken

1. Return the paste to the pan and add 1–2 dollops of butter.
2. Add chicken pieces and simmer for 8–10 minutes.
3. Stir in cream, kasuri methi, and garam masala.
4. Garnish with cream and serve hot with naan or rice.

Tips & Variations

• For a smoky flavor, place hot coal in a bowl inside the curry, drizzle ghee over it, and cover for 2 minutes.
• Swap cashews with almonds for a nutty variation.
• Adjust cream quantity to control richness.

✨ Your homemade Butter Chicken is ready – rich, creamy, and delicious!

Sprouted Moong Curry/Goan Mooga Gathi - Ganesh Chaturthi Special

🌱 Sprouted Moong Curry – A Nourishing & Flavorful Delight

If you’re looking for a comforting, protein-packed Indian dish that pairs beautifully with rice or puri, this Sprouted Moong Curry is just what you need. It's wholesome, rich in flavors, and surprisingly easy to prepare.

In this post, I’ll walk you through everything – from how to sprout moong at home to crafting a delicious, aromatic gravy with freshly ground spices and coconut.

🛒 Ingredients

Main Ingredients:

• Whole green moong (sprouted)
• Freshly grated coconut – 2–3 tbsp
• Turmeric (haldi) powder
• Dry red chillies
• Tamarind paste
• Coriander (dhaniya) seeds
• Cumin (jeera) seeds
• Cardamom (elaichi)
• Cloves (laung)
• Cinnamon (dalchini)
• Black pepper (kali mirch)
• Green chillies – 2, slit
• Salt – to taste
• Sugar – to taste

For Seasoning (Tadka):

• Oil
• Asafoetida (hing)
• Mustard seeds
• Curry leaves

🌿 How to Make Sprouted Moong at Home

1. Wash and soak the whole green moong in water for 7–8 hours or overnight.
2. In the morning, drain the water and wrap the moong in a soft, clean cloth to form a potli (bundle).
3. Place the potli in a bowl, cover it, and let it rest in a warm place for 8–10 hours.
4. Check after that — you’ll find beautifully sprouted moong beans, ready to use.

🍲 Method – Let’s Cook!

Step 1: Boil the Sprouts

• Add sprouted moong and 2 slit green chillies to a pressure cooker.
• Cook for 1 whistle to keep the moong soft but intact.

Step 2: Make the Masala Paste

Grind the following ingredients into a smooth paste:

• Fresh coconut
• Turmeric
• Dry red chillies
• Tamarind paste
• Coriander seeds
• Cumin seeds
• Cardamom
• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• Black pepper

Step 3: Prepare the Gravy

• Add the ground paste to the boiled moong in the cooker.
• Turn on the flame and mix well.
• Add salt and sugar to taste.
• Let it simmer and boil for 5–8 minutes.

Step 4: Tempering (Tadka)

• Heat oil in a small pan.
• Add asafoetida, mustard seeds, and curry leaves.
• Let them splutter, then pour over the moong curry.
• Mix well and turn off the heat.

🍛 Serving Suggestions

Your Sprouted Moong Curry is ready to enjoy!

Serve it hot with:

• Steamed rice
• Jeera rice
• Puri or chapati

This dish is perfect for lunch or a light dinner – nutritious, hearty, and packed with flavor!

Parshe Machher jhol/Bengali fish curry

 

This fish is known as 'Parshe' in bengali, 'shevte' in konkani and 'mullet' in english.Machher jhol is a kind of a stew with veggies and fish.It is a wholesome dish to be served with rice.It's a favourite in almost every bengali home..with veggies and fish so nothing else is much required :)

Ingredients -
parshe machh/mullet fish
brinjal/egg plant/baigan
potato/alu
ginger paste
tomato
mustard oil
black cumin/kala jeera/kalonji/nigella/onion seeds
green chillies
coriander/dhaniya powder
cumin/jeera powder
turmeric/haldi powder
red chilly/mirchi powder
sugar
salt
coriander leaves/dhaniya patta(optional)

Method -
Wash the fish pieces well.
Marinate the fish with salt,turmeric,red chilly powder.
Chop the brinjal and potato length wise(not small).
Heat mustard oil in a kadhai/wok.
Once the oil becomes hot fry the fish pieces in it.
Keep the fried fish aside.
In the same oil add some kala jeera seeds.
Once they splutter add freshly made ginger paste and roughly chopped tomatoes,brinjal and potatoes.
Add chopped green chillies.
Add salt,haldi,mirchi,dhaniya,jeera powder,sugar(pinch).
Saute for sometime till rawness of ginger,masala powder is gone.
Add some water to get a consistency and add the fried fish pieces.
Let the fish and veggies cook till they are soft for about 5-8min.
Check the salt for taste and finally garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Server this machher jhol with hot steamed rice and kachha posto :)
kachha posto is a paste of - poppy seeds/posto/khus-khus,green chilly,salt,mustard oil. 

Goan green masala fish fry

A tasty fish fry can melt the heart of any fish-lover.Here is a famous Goan recipe of fish fry which includes a green masala.I have used king fish here but you can also use pomfret. Please give it a try as its super easy with almost no preparation time required. 

Ingredients -

king fish/surmai/visvon
fresh bunch of coriander leaves/dhaniya patta
green chillies
onion
ginger
garlic
black pepper corns/kali mirch
cumin seeds/jeera
cardamom/elaichi
turmeric/haldi powder
tamarind pulp/lemon juice
salt
oil/butter/ghee

Method -
Wash the fish pieces well.
Roughly chop the onion,ginger,garlic,chillies.
Wash the coriander leaves well.
Make a paste of the following with less water - 
coriander leaves,chillies,ginger,garlic,onion,black pepper,cumin,cardamom,turmeric powder,tamarind pulp.
Add salt to the paste.
Apply this paste to the fish pieces and let it marinate for atleast an hour.
Heat a non-stick tawa/frying pan.
Add oil or butter or ghee as per your choice.
Shallow fry the fish pieces on the tawa on low heat on both sides.
Green masala fish is ready to serve :)

Shukto

 

Shukto is a popular vegetable dish in Bengali cuisine usually served with rice.It has a slightly bitter taste.The tradition of starting a meal by consuming bitters, is considered to have a medicinal value as per Ayurveda.This dish is full of vitamins as it is loaded with veggies.Please try out this authentic and very healthy Bengali dish for yourself :)

Ingredients -
bitter gourd/karela
lady finger/okra/bhendi
plaintain/kachha kela
carrot/gajar
potato/alu
brinjal/egg plant/baigan
arbi/colocasia/kochu,bori
drum sticks
freshly made ginger paste
salt
green chillies
coriander/dhaniya powder
cumin/jeera powder
sugar
milk - 2tspn

shukto dry masala -
Dry roast and make powder of the following :-
cumin/whole jeera
panch foran
whole red chilly
poppy seeds/posto

Method -
Heat mustard oil in a kadhai/pan.
Fry all veggies separately except for drum stick pieces.Fry them with less oil by covering with lid on low flame and not deep fry.
Once done, remove the veggies out and keep them aside.Add panch foran to the oil.
After adding pach foran, add all veggies except bhendi,baigan and karela.
Once all the veggies have been sauted, add the drum sticks pieces,ginger paste,salt, green chillies, dhaniya jeera powder,sugar.
Add water and let all the veggies boil properly.
Once done,add the bhendi,baigan and karela.
Let it cook for another 2min, then switch off the flame.
Add 2tspn of milk to the shukto.The gravy will be of medium consistency.
Heat ghee in a separate tadka pan,add shukto masala to it.
Now pour this over the shukto.
Shukto is ready to serve with steamed rice :) 

Kandgachi Nevri/Sweet Potato gujiya/karanji (Goan sweet) - Gudi Padwa special

 Wishing everyone a very Happy Gudi Padwa !!

Kandgachi Nevri is a traditional Goan delicacy made from sweet potato.Sweet potato is known as "kandga" in konkani.It is known as "ratale" in marathi.Nevri is a D-shaped similar like gujiya.These are made up of sweet potato as the outer layer with coconut-jaggery stuffing inside.It is one of the unique Goan dishes which you will never find anywhere outside Goa.So please give it a try once and am sure you will love it :)

Ingredients -
sweet potato
wheat flour/atta
freshly grated coconut
jaggery
cardamom powder(elaichi)
salt
ghee

Method -
Wash the sweet potatoes well and boil them till soft with peel.
Cool down and peel off the skin and grate them.
Add a pinch of salt to it.
Add wheat flour approx 2-3 tbspn to the grated sweet potatoes and mix well.
The mixture must be well formed so that you can make small balls out of it.
Heat a non stick pan/kadai.
Add freshly grated coconut to it and add jaggery.
The sweetness is as per your taste.
Sprinkle some cardamom powder and let it cook.
Cook it on low flame for say 7-8min.
This is the stuffing or "chunn" as we call it in konkani.
Spread a plastic sheet on the rolling pin.
Keep 1 ball of the sweet potato dough on it.
Lightly roll it in the shape of a poori.You cant roll it without a plastic sheet as it is sticky.
Add the coconut stuffing in it on one side.
Fold it from the other side to make a D-shape. Similarly as you do for gujiyas.This is called a "nevri" in konkani.
Heat a non-stick tawa.
Add ghee to it. Shallow fry the nevris on both sides till light brown.
Delicious sweet potato nevris/gujiyas are ready to serve :)

Fish Cutlet/Macher Chop(Kolkata style)

Fish chop is a spicy fish croquette that can be made with any fish. In Bengali homes it is usually made from Rui/Katla(carps) but I made this from bhetki fish. Bhetki as its known in Bengali is also known as Chanak in Konkani and Sea Bass in English. This fish cutlet or chop as its known in Bengali is a delicious cutlet which is soft/juicy inside with a crispy breaded coating outside. Although it's quite easily available in Kolkata, I request you to try it at home once and you will never like the outside chops anymore.. just like us :) This is a must try delicacy for fish lovers !!

Ingredients -

Fish - Sea bass/Bhetki/Chonak

onion

ginger

garlic

green chillies

potatoes

oil

turmeric powder(haldi)

red chilly powder(mirchi)

coriander powder(dhaniya)

cumin powder(jeera)

freshly coarsely ground garam masala - cardamom(elaichi),cinnamon(dalchini),black pepper(kali mirch)

bhaja masala - powder made by dry roasting - whole cumin(jeera), red chilly, cardamon(elaichi),cinnamon(dalchini),black pepper

salt

sugar

oil for deep frying

for coating-

corn flour

egg

salt

black pepper powder

bread crumbs

Method -

Wash the fish pieces well.

Marinate the fish with salt,turmeric powder,red chilly powder for 30min.

Heat oil in a wok/kadhai.

Fry the fish pieces in oil(medium to high temperature).

Allow the pieces to cool,then separate the bones and mash them.

Boil potatoes till soft,then peel and mash them.

Sprinkle salt on the potatoes as per taste.

Finely chop the onions and green chillies.

Make a paste of ginger,garlic.

In the same kadhai heat some more oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions, green chillies,ginger-garlic paste,salt.

Add all the seasoning powders - turmeric,red chilly,coriander,cumin.

Coarsely grind the following - cardamom,cinnamon,black pepper.Add this to the above mixture.

Add the mashed fish and cook for sometime.

Add the mashed potatoes and mix well.

Now add the bhaja masala.

Adjust the salt and add bit of sugar for taste.

The stuffing is ready.

Take small balls and make oval shaped cutlets out of them.

To fry the cutlets -

Heat oil in a deep wok/kadhai for deep frying.

Beat 1 egg in a wide bowl and whisk it well.

Add 1-2 tspn of cornflour to it.

Add salt, pepper powder for taste.

Mix it well to get a consistent batter with no lumps.

Sprinkle bread crumbs over a plate.I have used the ready made bread crumbs.

Take 1 oval shaped cutlet deep it in the corn flour mixture on both sides.

Now roll it in the bread crumbs on both sides.

Deep fry in the oil.

Fry on medium flame till golden brown on both sides.

Serve the hot chops/cutlets with mustard sauce/kasundi or tomato ketchup.