Butter Chicken — Two-Marinade System and Tomato Reduction (मुर्ग मखनी)

Murgh makhani (मुर्ग मखनी, butter chicken) is the accidental creation of Kundan Lal Gujral at Moti Mahal, Delhi — leftover tandoori chicken repurposed in a tomato-butter-cream sauce. The modern restaurant version requires a two-marinade system: first marinade (lemon juice, salt, red chilli — 30 minutes, tenderises and adds acid), second marinade (yoghurt, spices, Kashmiri chilli — 24 hours, flavours and protects during high-heat cooking). The sauce is separately developed: tomatoes roasted or charred, then passed through a sieve for smoothness, cooked down with butter and cream. The dish's defining character — mild, rich, slightly sweet-tangy — comes from the tomato sauce's cooking time and the Kashmiri chilli's colour without heat.