Sonny's Famous Butter Chicken in Chatham, NJ

If Sonny's Indian Kitchen is known for one thing in Chatham, it's this. Our butter chicken (murgh makhani) starts with chicken thigh marinated overnight, baked in the oven tandoori-style, then folded into a velvety tomato-butter gravy finished with cream and dried fenugreek. It's the dish first-timers order on a recommendation and regulars refuse to skip.

Butter chicken was invented in 1950s Delhi as a way to keep tandoori chicken moist — which is why the chicken in ours is baked first, never poached. The gravy is where most versions cut corners; we simmer tomatoes down slowly with butter and kasuri methi (dried fenugreek) until the sauce turns silky and slightly sweet, no shortcuts. Mild by default, it's the single most kid-friendly entree on our menu and the best introduction to Indian food we know. Pair it with garlic naan for scooping and basmati rice for the leftover sauce — that's the correct order.