Butter Chicken

My husband and I love to go to a local Indian restaurant.  One of our favorite dishes is butter chicken. It's a dish of chicken in a mild creamy spiced curry sauce.  I never dreamed I could make it as good at home but when I came across this recipe from the blog Recipe Tin Eats, I had to try.  It's delicious!  The chicken has to marinate at least 8 hours but then it comes together super quick.  You have to serve it with naan (naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread) to sop up all the creamy spicy sauce.  

Ingredients:

Marinade

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice 
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp garam masala (blend of savory Indian Spices) 
• 1/2 tsp chili powder  
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 
  
• 2 lbs boneless chicken thigh or boneless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces (I used chicken breast once and liked thighs so much more)

Curry

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil 
• 1 cup tomato puree (tomato puree can be found next to the canned tomatoes.  It's different than tomato paste and sauce, so just make sure you get puree)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup heavy cream

To serve

• Rice
• cilantro (optional)
• Naan

Instructions:

1. In a bowl whisk together the Marinade ingredients.  Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, up to 24 hours.
2. Heat the vegetable oil over high heat in a large fry pan.  
3. Place chicken mixture in the fry pan and cook for around 5 minutes, or until the chicken is white all over (it won't brown because of the Marinade).
4. Add the tomato puree, sugar and salt.  Stir well. Turn down to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (don't cover).
5. Add the cream and stir until well combined and heated through.
6. Garnish with cilantro leaves if using. Serve with rice.

This butter chicken recipe was slightly adapted from Recipe Tin Eats

Someday I might try and make naan but until then I love this brand.  So easy, just lightly toast in the toaster.

You can find turmeric and garam masala at the grocery store but I really like Penzeys Spices.  I've been slowly replacing all my spices with Penzeys.  I think they make everything taste a little better.