this was one of the tougher recipes i've followed. it was good, just time consuming. all i'm saying is, give yourself enough time. i found it was really helpful to have everything out and ready before i started cooking. i don't usually do this but i'm learning it's the key to avoid over-cooking things when there are several steps to the recipe.
the last few times i've posted recipes i've wanted to comment on the fact that a lot of them have had higher sodium content than would typically be recommended for consumption during one meal. most of the time, i don't worry about it because i run so much and therefore, sweat, a lot. the last time i had blood work done, my sodium was "on the low end." in fact, she told me to consume more salt so, i don't fret over the higher numbers. however, in case you are concerned, be sure to search out ingredients that have lower sodium (the canned tomato paste can be salt free and the chicken stock too. organic chicken typically has less sodium than conventional chicken). food for thought.
also, the last time i posted a few recipes my aunt commented that i make it look easy. i laughed out loud at this so i thought it would be nice for you all to see how messy it can get.
for example, this recipe requires the tomato mixture be pureed. i was not thinking when i dumped everything in and turned my processor on. overflow!
that was fun to clean up. let me tell you. and yes, i always have some child acting as an assistant to the chef by putting their little hands where they don't belong and making the mess worse than necessary. i try to make an effort not to shoo them away though. i want them to appreciate enjoy the process.
once i pureed the tomato mixture all over the kitchen, i was supposed to put it back in the pot. so i did. along with all of the pieces belonging to the processor.
sigh.
all in all, after an hour or so of swearing, the meal turned out decent. especially if you're a fan of curry which my husband is not. no matter how many times i try to sneak it in, he always says something tastes weird. it's the curry dear. damn. i love curry.
indian butter chicken
- 1 onion (1/2 lb.), peeled & chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded & chopped
- 1 tbsp olive or canola oil
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (i used low sodium)
- 1/2 cup half & half or heavy cream (i used 1/2 & 1/2)
- 1/4 tsp crushed bay leaves
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4" chunks
- 1/2 tsp coarse-ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
- 2 cups basmati rice, uncooked (i used brown basmati)
- lime wedges
- fresh cilantro, chopped
cook rice -- my method; 1 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. i usually cook two cups of rice (3 cups of water) and add 2 crushed garlic cloves, a little onion powder and 1 tbsp olive oil. brown basmati takes longer than white basmati. either way, bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat and continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated into the rice as pictured below:
at this point, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes (white rice) or 45-50 minutes (brown rice).
as far as the rest:
in a large saute pan, combine onion, ginger, chili & oil. stir often over medium-high heat until onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. stir in garlic, garam masala, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander. saute for an additional 2 minutes.
scrape mixture into a blender or food processor; add tomato paste and chicken broth. whirl until very smooth. pour mixture back into pan, add half and half or cream and crushed bay leaves, and bring to a gentle boil over high heat (mixture is inclined to spatter - yep!)
reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until reduced to 3 cups, about 5-7 minutes. pour sauce into a bowl. rinse and dry pan.
pat the chicken dry. mix chicken with salt and pepper. set pan over high heat; add 1 tbsp butter (i used 1 tbsp olive oil at this point rather than butter) and the chicken. stir until chicken is no longer pink on the surface, 2 to 3 minutes.
add the sauce and simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until chicken is no longer pink in the center (cut to test), 3 to 4 minutes. cut remaining 3 tbsp butter into chunks and stir into sauce until melted.
spoon chicken and sauce onto rice. squeeze lime juice over portions and garnish with cilantro.
serves ~ 6
nutrition facts less rice
Nutrition Facts indian butter chicken |
Serving Size: 1 serving |
|
| Amount Per Serving |
| Calories | 261 |
|
| Total Fat | 14g |
| Saturated Fat | 6.7g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 88mg |
| Sodium | 954mg |
| Carbohydrate | 11.1g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.9g |
| Sugars | 5.6g |
| Protein | 26.3g |
|
| Vitamin A 15% | Vitamin C 16% |
| Calcium 3% | Iron 2% |
|
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