Butter Chicken in Amsterdam: What Makes Murg Makhani So Comforting

Published: September 29, 2026  |  Estimated reading time: 6 minutes  |  Written by the Miri Mary team

Butter Chicken is one of the most familiar dishes on an Indian menu, but familiarity does not mean every version tastes the same.

At Miri Mary in De Pijp, our current Murg Makhani starts with tandoori chicken and brings it together with a rich tomato, butter and fenugreek sauce.

The result is comforting, but the dish is not meant to taste only creamy or sweet. The tandoor gives the chicken its own character, tomato brings balance and fenugreek adds an aromatic finish.

If you are specifically looking for Butter Chicken in Amsterdam, this guide explains what you will find at Miri Mary, how we like to build the rest of the table around it and what to know before ordering.

What is Butter Chicken?

Butter Chicken is also known as Murg Makhani or Murgh Makhani.

The dish combines cooked chicken with a rich tomato-based sauce, butter and aromatic seasoning.

That basic description only tells part of the story, because different kitchens balance the dish differently.

Some versions lean sweeter or creamier. Others leave more room for tomato, smoke and spice.

At Miri Mary, one of the most important parts happens before the sauce: the chicken is cooked in the tandoor.

Why the tandoori chicken matters

A rich sauce can easily dominate a dish, so the chicken needs enough character of its own.

Tandoor cooking exposes the chicken to intense heat, giving the surface a roasted character before it meets the Makhani sauce.

Once the chicken goes into the tomato-and-butter sauce, those tandoor notes become softer but do not disappear completely.

That contrast is part of what makes our current version different from simply cooking plain chicken directly in a creamy sauce.

If you want to understand the technique itself, read our guide to tandoori cooking .

Tomato keeps the richness in balance

Butter gets the attention in the name, but tomato is just as important to the way the dish eats.

Its acidity gives the sauce contrast. Without that balance, a buttery dish can quickly become too heavy across several bites.

The aim is not for one ingredient to dominate. Tomato, butter, seasoning and chicken should work together.

What does fenugreek add?

Fenugreek adds another aromatic layer behind the tomato and butter.

It may not be the first flavour someone identifies when eating Murg Makhani, but it helps stop the sauce from feeling one-dimensional.

On Miri Mary's current menu, fenugreek is specifically part of the description of the dish.

Is Butter Chicken very spicy?

Spiced and chilli-hot are not the same thing.

Butter Chicken is generally chosen for its rounded, rich character rather than extreme chilli heat.

That can make it an approachable dish for someone trying Indian food for the first time.

Heat perception is personal, though. If you are particularly sensitive to chilli, ask the team about the current preparation when ordering.

What should you order with it?

One of the easiest mistakes with a sharing dinner is ordering several dishes with the same texture and level of richness.

We prefer using Butter Chicken as the richer part of the table, then building contrast around it.

For example, Gunpowder Okra Fries bring crispness and spice, while a vegetable-led or tandoor-cooked dish gives the meal a different texture before returning to the Makhani sauce.

That creates a more interesting dinner than ordering several creamy dishes together.

See the current Miri Mary menu before visiting, as individual dishes can change.

Rice or naan?

Both work, but they give the sauce a different role.

Steamed basmati rice absorbs the sauce and spreads its richness through the grains.

Naan gives you a softer, richer bite and works well for picking up the sauce directly.

If two or more people are sharing, ordering some rice and one bread for the table means you do not have to choose between the two.

Why we serve two portion sizes

Miri Mary's current Butter Chicken is offered in two sizes.

That fits the way we prefer guests to explore the dinner menu: Butter Chicken can be one familiar dish within a broader table rather than automatically becoming one person's entire meal.

For two people, for example, you could combine a smaller Butter Chicken with a couple of contrasting sharing plates and rice or bread.

For a larger table, it can sit beside vegetarian dishes, seafood, tandoor-cooked plates and other regional flavours.

Is Butter Chicken a good first Indian dish?

Yes, particularly if you already enjoy tomato-based sauces and richer food.

But we would not use Butter Chicken as the definition of Indian food.

Indian cooking includes fermented foods, lentils, vegetables, seafood, tandoor cooking, street-food flavours and very different regional traditions.

If it is your first Indian dinner, keep Butter Chicken as one familiar part of the meal and use the rest of the table to try something different.

Our Indian Food for Beginners guide gives a practical starting point.

Is Miri Mary's Butter Chicken gluten-free?

The current menu marks Murg Makhani as GF, with dairy and nut allergen markers also shown.

A menu marker should not be treated as a guarantee of zero cross-contact.

If you have coeliac disease, a severe allergy or another important dietary requirement, tell the team when booking and again when ordering so the current ingredients and kitchen practices can be discussed with you directly.

When can you order it at Miri Mary?

Butter Chicken is currently part of Miri Mary's dinner menu.

Dinner is served every day from 17:30 to 22:00 at Van der Helstplein 15H in De Pijp.

If you are visiting specifically for this dish, check the live menu first because menus can change.

For current dinner information and booking options, visit the Miri Mary dinner page .

Frequently asked questions

Why does Miri Mary cook the chicken in the tandoor first?

Cooking the chicken in the tandoor gives it roasted, lightly smoky character before it is added to the tomato, butter and fenugreek sauce. This creates more contrast than cooking plain chicken directly in the sauce.

Can Butter Chicken be ordered as part of a sharing dinner?

Yes. Miri Mary currently offers Murg Makhani in two portion sizes, so it can be ordered as one part of a larger sharing table alongside vegetables, smaller plates, rice or naan.

What makes Miri Mary’s Butter Chicken different from a very creamy or sweet version?

Miri Mary’s current Murg Makhani balances tandoori chicken with tomato, butter and fenugreek. The aim is to keep the tomato, aromatic seasoning and tandoor character noticeable rather than letting sweetness or creaminess dominate the dish.

Continue exploring

• Current Miri Mary Menu — check current dishes and dietary markers.
• Dinner at Miri Mary — plan an evening in De Pijp.
• What Is Tandoori Cooking? — understand the cooking technique used for the chicken.
• Indian Food for Beginners — a practical guide to building your first Indian meal.