Anjana Shanker is a chef and baker who has contributed to ChefSteps for many years. Previously, she worked on the R&amp;D team for Modernist Cuisine, as well as at restaurants like Lampreia in Seattle.

Anjana Shanker

Butter chicken, also known as murgh makhani, is the most delicious use of leftover chicken in history.It was originally devised as a way to use up leftover tandoori chicken—yogurt-marinated chicken roasted in the super-hot cylindrical ovens known as tandoors—at the original location of Moti Mahal restaurant in what is now Old Delhi. It has since become a global phenomenon and a staple of Indian restaurants across the world—and for good reason. The combination of charred and smoky chicken pieces with a smooth, tangy, and rich sauce of tomatoes and spices, enriched with ghee and cream, is undeniably delicious—just as good with fragrant basmati rice as it is with <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/no-nonsense-naan">pillowy naan</a> or <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/paratha">flaky paratha</a>.This recipe is designed to produce a real-deal restaurant version, with beautifully charred chicken napped in a beautifully complex and rich sauce, no tandoor required.

Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)