India’s beloved butter chicken has made it to the list of the best chicken dishes in the world. Yes, that’s right. The creamy and comforting Murgh Makhani (butter chicken) from Delhi, India, has secured the fifth spot in Taste Atlas’s list of the best chicken dishes worldwide.This humble dish has a rating of 4.5 on its website, which is a prominent food and travel guide. Butter chicken originated in Delhi during the 1950s, when a man named Kundan Lal Gujral opened his restaurant, Moti Mahal. The chefs at the restaurant combined leftover tandoori chicken, simmering it with tomatoes, butter, and spices. The result was a rich, velvety curry unlike anything that had come before. Paired with hot naan, a popular flatbread from India, it is a dish fit for a king.
World’s top 5 chicken dishes
In the no. 1 spot is Pilic Topkapi, a classic Turkish chicken dish made with boneless chicken stuffed with a savoury rice pilaf. A classic Moroccan dish, Rfissa, has secured the second spot. This traditional dish is made from stewed chicken pieces, onions, and lentils served over shredded msemmen, old bread, or trid pastry. South Korea’s famous Korean fried chicken (Chikin) is in the third spot. Introduced during the Korean War in the 1950s, this dish is made from battered and deep-fried chicken pieces. In fourth place is a Peruvian roast chicken (Pollo a la brasa). This dish consists of crunchy and juicy charcoal-grilled chicken served with French fries and salads.Other Indian chicken dishes that made it to the list:
- Tandoori chicken (Rank 14)
- Chicken tikka (Rank 35)
- Chicken 65 (Rank 38)
- Chicken rezala (Rank 51)
- Chicken kathi roll (Rank 74)
What are the top 10 chicken dishes in the world?
According to Taste Atlas, the top 10 best chicken dishes from across the globe are:Pilic Topkapi (Turkiye)Rfissa (Morocco)Korean fried chicken (South Korea)Peruvian roast chicken (Peru)Butter Chicken (India)Karaage (Japan)French roast chicken (France)Dak Galbi (South Korea)Chicken karahi (Pakistan)Inasal na manok (Philippines)
How to make butter chicken?
You can easily prepare this rich and flavourful dish at home using MasterChef Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipe, as shared on his website.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 400 g boneless chicken, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp butter
Marinade
- 1½ cups yoghurt
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp mustard oil
Makhani gravy
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 green cardamoms
- 2 cloves
- 2–3 black peppercorns
- 1-inch piece cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1½ cups tomato purée
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp sugar or honey
- ½ tsp kasoori methi
- ½ cup fresh cream
Marinate the chicken with red chilli powder, lemon juice, and salt. Keep it aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Drain the yoghurt, then mix it with ginger–garlic paste, chilli powder, garam masala, salt, and mustard oil, and coat the chicken with this mixture before refrigerating for another 3–4 hours. Now the next part. You can preheat the oven to 200°C. On a skewer, cook the chicken for 10–12 minutes. No,w the most important step. Baste it with butter and cook for 2 minutes more. Now comes the makhani gravy. For this sauté cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon and ginger–garlic paste in butter, then add tomato purée, chilli powder, salt, and water, simmering for 10 minutes. You can add some sugar or honey and kasoori methi to enhance the flavour. Add the cooked chicken, simmer for 5 minutes, stir in cream, and serve hot with naan or paratha.So when are you making your butter chicken?
