Indian Butter Chickenwith cauliflower / peas / naan
A spice-filled and creamy tomato sauce makes butter chicken a take-out favorite and a great entry-level dish if you are unfamiliar with Indian cuisine. This dish tastes even better a day or two after it's made, so it's great for leftovers. This dish has remained a favorite among our members since it first made its debut in August 2013.
Ingredients
- Garam masala - 1 Tbsp
- Coriander - 4 tsp
- Ginger, dried - 2 tsp
- Turmeric - 1 tsp
- Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped
- Onions, medium - 1, chopped
- Cauliflower - 1 head, chopped
- Cilantro - 1/4 bunch, chopped
- Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless - 1 lb, chopped
- Butter - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp (sub ghee)
- Tomatoes, crushed (28 oz / 794 g) - 1 can
- Half and half - 1/2 cup
- Peas, frozen - 2 cups
- Yogurt, plain or Greek - 1/4 cup
- Naan - 4 rounds (sub pita or flatbread)
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Make spice mix - Combine garam masala, coriander, ginger and turmeric in a small bowl.
- Garlic / Onions / Cauliflower / Cilantro - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Chicken - Chop and then season with some salt and pepper and tenderize with a fork.
Make
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add first part of butter and then chicken to melted butter. Saute until golden, ~3 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside (chicken doesn't need to be cooked through at this point).
- Return pan to heat and add second part of butter. Add onions and saute until tender, ~3 minutes. Add in garlic and a pinch of salt. Saute until fragrant, 1 minute more.
- Add in cauliflower and then spice mix. Saute for another minute or two before pouring in tomatoes and half and half. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Defrost peas in the microwave.
- Add in chicken and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until everything is cooked through. Stir in peas and cook until warmed, 1 minute more. Season to taste with some salt and more spices.
- Serve chicken with yogurt and cilantro and naan on the side. Enjoy!
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Reviews
This meal has 84 reviews
Saw the comments so added extra spices and salt. Really delicious!
I have several other butter chicken recipes and all of them are closer to what you'll find in an authentic Indian restaurant. I was pretty unimpressed with this one. I did like the addition of the veggies so will try this with some of my other recipes.
Next time I plan to puree the "sauce" so that the cauliflower isn't so prominent. The kids liked the taste but not the cauliflower. That should make it more like the restaurant version we are familiar with too.
This dish was too spicy without having much flavor.
Very filling. Left out the cauliflower, added double coconut milk. Was like a very filling stew with flavorful seasoning.
Not as good as I thought. I used only half of a cauliflower and it was still a lot ! Otherwise, it was not so spicy, creamy or anything. I couldn't find any dry ginger, maybe that was it ! I might try it again differently next time !