Indian Butter Chicken

Indian Butter Chicken

This butter chicken is so full of fabulous flavors!  I love trying new foods often, especially ethnic foods!  My husband is a big fan of Indian foods and so I have been trying to incorporate them a little more into our meal plans.  Not only is this meal delicious, but it is also full of foods and spices shown to reduce inflammation.  Garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper are all shown to have anti-inflammatory effects!

Perhaps my favorite part of this meal are the smells that fill my kitchen when I am preparing it.  I absolutely LOVE the smell of fresh garlic and spicy ginger simmering in slightly sweet coconut oil!  Did you know that the act of cooking and enjoying the smells of cooking actually increases the satisfaction of the meal?  It does!!!  Don’t worry though, this meal is quick and easy (as most of my recipes are) so you won’t be spending too much time cooking your dinner tonight!

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 tsp Coconut oil

½ Medium Yellow Onion, finely chopped

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp Fresh Ginger root, minced

½ tsp Salt

1 tsp Coriander

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Cardamom

¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 (14 oz) can light Coconut milk

1 (6 oz) can Tomato Paste

Juice of 1 lime

½ cup Cilantro, chopped

1 cup Brown Jasmine Rice

Directions

1. Cook Rice according to directions. Brown rice typically takes about 45 minutes to cook.
2. Place oil in a large skillet and heat. Use Medium-high.
3. Once oil is shimmering, add onion and sauté until slightly translucent (about 3 minutes).
4. Add garlic and ginger to sauté pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Add salt, coriander, cumin, cardamom, cayenne pepper and cook 1 minute longer. Reduce heat to low while you slice the chicken.
6. Slice chicken breast into small strips about ½ inch wide. Turn temperature of skillet up to medium high again.  Add chicken to your skillet and cook chicken with spices until internal temp reaches 165 F or about 8-10 minutes.  Time will depend on how small you slice the chicken.
7. Add coconut milk and tomato paste to skillet and stir until well combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer until rice is finished cooking (about 10-15 minutes).
8. Serve chicken with sauce over rice. Squeeze fresh lime juice over chicken and top with fresh cilantro.

Tips

To mince ginger, start by cutting off the outer layer.  What is left is a fibrous yellow in color flesh of the root.  Mince it the same way you would garlic!  I often do them together to save time!

If you are short on time, you can substitute ¼ tsp ground ginger and 1 tsp garlic powder in place of fresh.  But, beware!!!  It doesn’t smell nearly as amazing when you use dried spices.

Slow cooker instructions: Use steps 1-6.  Add coconut milk and tomato paste along with chicken mixture to your slow cooker.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours.  Serve over cooked rice and top with fresh lime and cilantro.

If you LOVE this recipe, you may also love This Anti-Inflammatory Baked Chicken!

 

Nutrition information per serving: 427 Calories, 11 grams Total Fat, 47 grams Total Carb, 4 grams Dietary Fiber, 31 grams Protein