Dishoom's Famous Chicken Ruby (Butter Chicken) at Home

I visited Dishoom in London and loved it so much that I went back during the same trip. Their Chicken Ruby is their fantastic rendition of butter chicken and it is hands down the best butter chicken I have ever had! I knew I had to recreate it at home, and after tweaking and testing, I'm so excited to share this recipe with you all.

TL;DR: Chicken Ruby is Dishoom's legendary butter chicken — a deeply layered makhani sauce (tomato, cream, whole spices, crispy fried garlic, honey, fenugreek) with yogurt-marinated chicken thighs charred in an air fryer. The sauce is the work: reduce tomatoes by half, layer whole spices and aromatics, finish with butter and cream. Marinate the chicken 6+ hours, air-fry at 400°F until edges char, then simmer in the sauce 10 minutes. Serve over fluffy basmati with pomegranate seeds.

The Story Behind Dishoom's Chicken Ruby

Dishoom is a love letter to the old Irani cafés of Bombay — those no-frills, all-welcome gathering spots that started popping up in the early 1900s when Zoroastrian immigrants from Iran settled in India. At their peak, Bombay had nearly 400 of these cafés. Today, fewer than 30 remain. Shamil and Kavi Thakrar opened the first Dishoom in London's Covent Garden in 2010 to preserve that spirit — communal tables, chai on tap, and food that feels like a warm hug. Butter chicken itself has a legendary origin story. It was born in the 1950s at Moti Mahal in Delhi, where the restaurant's founder Kundan Lal Gujral supposedly tossed leftover tandoori chicken into a rich tomato-cream gravy to avoid wasting it. That happy accident became one of the most beloved dishes in Indian cuisine, and today you'll find some version of it on practically every Indian restaurant menu around the world. Dishoom's take on butter chicken — which they call Chicken Ruby — is something truly special. The makhani sauce is deeply layered with whole spices, crispy fried garlic, fenugreek, and a touch of honey that balances everything out. It's richer and more complex than your average butter chicken, and the chicken itself gets that incredible char from a tandoor (or in our case, an air fryer). The pomegranate seed garnish adds a pop of freshness that just ties the whole dish together.

The first time I tried it at Dishoom, I literally closed my eyes and just sat there for a second. It was that good. George and I looked at each other and we both knew — this was THE butter chicken. I've had butter chicken at so many restaurants, and nothing has come close. So naturally, I had to figure out how to make it at home. Trust me, this recipe delivers.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Preparing the Makhani Sauce

This sauce is the heart and soul of the entire dish, so don't rush it. You're starting by frying minced garlic in oil until it's golden and crispy — this is going to get stirred back in later for incredible depth of flavor. Then you're building an aromatic base with whole spices: bay leaves, green and black cardamom, and cinnamon sticks. Toasting them in the oil for just a minute releases their essential oils. Next comes the garlic-ginger paste, which you cook for about 5 minutes until it's beautifully browned. The pureed tomatoes go in with salt and chili powder, and here's where patience comes in — you're simmering this down by half, which takes about 30 minutes. Don't skip this step. The reduction is what gives the sauce that thick, velvety, restaurant-quality body. Finish with butter, all the warm spices, the crispy garlic, and a generous pour of cream.

Making the Marinade and Marinating the Chicken

The marinade is what gives the chicken that signature tandoori flavor. You're blending ginger, garlic, yogurt, and a mix of spices into a smooth paste. The yogurt is doing double duty here — it tenderizes the chicken while the acid from the lime juice helps the spices penetrate deeper. Cut your chicken thighs into 1½-inch chunks (thighs are non-negotiable here — they stay juicier than breast), toss them in the marinade, and let them hang out in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Overnight is even better. This is where most people go wrong — they don't marinate long enough and wonder why their chicken doesn't have that deep, complex flavor.

Air Frying the Chicken

This is our home-cook shortcut for the tandoor, and honestly it works beautifully. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F, arrange the chicken in a single layer, and brush with melted butter. The high heat gives you those slightly charred edges that are absolutely essential to the dish. You want a little color and caramelization — that's where so much of the flavor lives. Cook for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, and make sure you hit 165°F internal temp.

Assembling the Curry

Now you bring it all together. Warm your makhani sauce over medium-low heat, stir in the cream, and add the air-fried chicken. Let everything simmer gently for about 10 minutes so the chicken absorbs all those incredible flavors. Don't crank the heat — you want a gentle bubble, not a rolling boil, or the cream can break.

Making the Rice

Great butter chicken deserves great rice, and this method delivers perfectly fluffy basmati every time. The key is rinsing the rice 3-4 times until the water runs clear — this removes excess starch so you get individual, fluffy grains instead of a sticky clump. Soaking for an hour lets the grains expand gently during cooking. The foil-covered resting step at the end is the real secret — it steams the rice to perfection. Don't skip the butter and lime juice, they add a subtle richness that pairs beautifully with the sauce.

Tips for the Best Chicken Ruby

• Don't rush the tomato reduction — 30 minutes of simmering is the make-or-break step. Under-reduced sauce tastes watery; fully reduced sauce tastes restaurant-grade.
• Kashmiri chili powder is non-negotiable — regular chili powder will make the sauce dull brown-red instead of that signature vivid ruby. Find it at any South Asian grocery or online.
• Crispy fried garlic twice — frying garlic first, removing it, then stirring it back in at the end is the Dishoom move. Don't skip this — it adds a toasty nuttiness that's missing from most home butter chickens.
• Use full-fat Greek yogurt in the marinade — low-fat yogurt breaks during marinating and doesn't tenderize as effectively. Full-fat only.
• Fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) add the "restaurant flavor" — that maple-celery-herbal note in high-end butter chicken is fenugreek. Don't substitute or skip it.
• More Dishoom-inspired reading — if you loved the trip context, read about the Dishoom Chicken Ruby visit and a full Borough Market food tour in London.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between butter chicken and tikka masala?

Butter chicken (murgh makhani) is the original — a rich, lightly sweet tomato-cream curry from 1950s Delhi. Tikka masala was invented in the UK as an adaptation, and it's typically spicier, chunkier, and more onion-heavy. Butter chicken leans creamy and mellow; tikka masala leans savory and tangy. They share DNA but are genuinely different dishes.

Can I make chicken ruby without an air fryer?

Yes. Broil the marinated chicken on a sheet pan 6 inches from the broiler for 8–10 minutes, flipping once, until the edges char slightly. Or use a screaming-hot cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, 3–4 minutes per side. Both replicate the tandoor char well enough — the goal is blackened edges and juicy centers.

Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?

You can, but I strongly prefer thighs. Thighs stay juicy through the marinade, the char, and the simmer in the sauce. Breast dries out in any one of those steps, let alone all three. If you only have breast, cut it into slightly larger chunks (2-inch) and pull it from the air fryer the second it hits 160°F.

How long should I marinate the chicken?

Minimum 6 hours, ideally overnight (12–24 hours). The yogurt tenderizes and the lime acid helps the spices penetrate. Anything less than 6 hours and the flavor stays surface-only. I've gone up to 36 hours with no downside — longer marinade = deeper flavor.

How do I get that signature red-orange color?

Kashmiri chili powder is the answer. It has a vivid red-orange hue but very mild heat, which is why Indian restaurants use it for color without overpowering the dish. Regular chili powder will make the sauce brown-red; paprika on its own is too mild. If you can't find Kashmiri, use 1 tsp Kashmiri-style substitute or mix equal parts paprika and a pinch of regular chili powder.