Butter Chicken
Servings
4Serving size
about 1 cup sauce with 4 ounces chickenThis recipe can easily be multiplied and keeps well for about 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator.
Serve with Brown Rice or Jasmine Rice or Low Sodium Jasmine Rice
Ingredients
| 1/2 cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt |
| 1/2 lime yields Lime juice, raw |
| 1 tsp. Garam masala |
| 1/2 tsp.. Ground cumin |
| 16 ounces Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (left whole) |
| 4 tsp. Olive oil (divided) |
| 2 tsp.. Unsalted butter |
| 3 clove Garlic, raw (minced) |
| 3 large White onions (diced) |
| 3 tsp. Ginger root, raw (minced) |
| 1 tsp.. Ground cumin |
| 2 tsp. Garam masala |
| 1 tsp. Ground coriander |
| 1 tsp. Chili powder |
| 1/2 tsp. Salt |
| 1 15-ounce can No salt added diced tomatoes |
| 1 cup Water |
| 1/2 cup Lite Coconut Milk |
| 1 tsp.. Honey |
Instructions
Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (overnight is best).
Place the olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and the ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute.
Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
Add the cumin, garam masala, coriander, chili powder, salt, tomatoes, and water and stir.
Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Using a blender or a stick blender, puree the sauce until smooth.
Add the coconut milk and honey and stir. Reduce heat to low to keep the sauce warm until serving.
Place 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or grill pan/griddle over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook for 6-7 minutes, basting the thighs with the marinade.
Adjust the heat so the marinade doesn't burn.
Turn the thighs over and continue cooking and basting for another 6-8 minutes. Discard any unused marinade.
To serve: place 1/2 cup cooked Brown Rice in a bowl and add the sauce. Top with 4 ounces chicken and serve.
Serve this recipe with one of these starch side dishes.
Brown Rice
In a medium sauce pan, heat the water and salt. When the water boils, stir in the brown rice. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 40-45 minutes. Do not boil away all of the liquid and do not stir the rice. When a very small amount of…
Jasmine Rice
In a medium sauce pan, heat the water and salt. When the water boils, stir in the jasmine rice. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for about 20-30 minutes. Do not boil away all of the liquid and do not stir the rice. When a very small amount…
Low Sodium Jasmine Rice
In a medium sauce pan, heat the water and salt. When the water boils, stir in the jasmine rice. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for about 20-30 minutes. Do not boil away all of the liquid and do not stir the rice. When a very small amount…
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Special Diet Information
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Lactose
Avoid this recipe if you are lactose intolerant.
Recipe Notes
Butter chicken is something of an invention it appears. The histories reported trace its roots to the 1950s and the three owners of the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi, India. It is now a staple of most curry shops and Indian restaurants in London. It is even more common in the U.S., now even showing up in the freezer case.
Recipes vary widely in the amount of butter and cream that they use. Some use as little as a few teaspoons of butter and no cream and others as much as a half a pound and a cup respectively.
For this version I turned to the technique of an Indian chef I met once. His sauces are always silky smooth, rich, and perfectly spiced. He begins with onions – lots of onions – and simmers them slowly. The carbohydrates in the onions break down with the extended cooking to create a thick, creamy, and very rich sauce.
The best part is that the most difficult bit of this dish is dicing the onions. The rest of the sauce is simply dump and stir in a single pot.