Butter Chicken
My kids love this version of butter chicken. It is really easy to make once you have your pantry stocked with your spice staples. No need to save this one for the weekend, its quick enough for a mid-week dinner. I use chicken breast, but you could also use chicken thigh fillets for additional flavour.
Serves 6
Ready in 30 mins
Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion (red or brown), finely diced
3 gloves of garlic, crushed
Spice mix (below)
3 tablespoons low-salt tomato paste
pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
400ml light coconut cream
700g chicken breast, cubed into 2cm pieces.
Spice Mix
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper (this will vary how spicy the dish ends up)
1 tsp ground turmeric
Whilst the list of spices may seem long, the addition of these to your pantry will help you start to use them more in other meals. Being dried, they have a long shelf life so are worth the investment. Spices add amazing flavour to dishes and we tend to use less added salt and sugar in the pursuit of taste.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Combine all spices in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2
In a heavy base pan, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Reduce heat to low and add spice mix and crushed garlic. Add tomato paste, the mix will form a paste. Cook paste for 1 minute until fragrant..
Step 3
Add salt, lemon juice and coconut cream and mix well until paste dissolves. Bring the sauce to simmer.
Step 4
Add diced chicken and stir until well coated. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through. Once chicken is cooked remove the lid and simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Step 5
Serve with brown rice and steamed green vegetables or for an extra serve of veg this butter chicken can be served with a cauliflower rice or broccoli rice.
