Indian Butter Chicken

We LOVE trying new foods and my husband and I are huge fans of Indian cuisine. Making Indian food involves LOTS of spices and LOTS of time so if you don't have either of those, this one may not be the one for you!

I will also mention, there are some foods that are just better in the restaurant...I tried making Tandoori Chicken which is an Indian dish we love to order out but my attempt was costly and we were both sorely disappointed. So, I stick with my Butter Chicken at home and order out Tandoori!

Ingredients:

Basmati rice (or brown rice, I use whatever I have on hand)

4-6 chicken thighs (I've made this with chicken breast & the thighs are MUCH better!)

(1) yellow or white onion

(1) 14 oz can diced tomatoes

(2) cups coconut milk (canned coconut milk is thicker)

Ghee - lots of ghee!

Minced Garlic

1 tbsp ground Ginger

2 tsp Curry Powder

2 tbsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Turmeric

Salt & pepper to taste

Cilantro for garnish

Making the butter chicken: ​

1. I start/make the rice first so Im not messing with it while I'm doing the rest. Basmati rice takes about 35-40 minutes anyway so it's perfect to get started prior to everything else.

2. Add about 2 tbsp of ghee to a large frying pan. Sauté onion, sprinkle with garam masala. After onion is almost translucent, add the garlic & sauté for another minute.

3. Add the chicken thighs and sprinkle with more garam masala. Lower heat & cover with a lid, allow thighs to cook all the way through.

4. In the meantime, place diced tomatoes into food processor & puree.

5. Mix all spices above together. 

6. Once chicken thighs have cooked through, use a wooden spoon to cut them into smaller chunks. 

7. Add the coconut milk to the chicken. Stir in the spices and pureed tomatoes. Let simmer, stirring occasionally.

8. Continue adding ghee as needed for butter flavor. Taste as you go & continue simmering. I allow this dish to simmer for a couple of hours to get the most out of the flav

9. Scoop rice on a plate & spoon out a generous portion of the chicken & sauce over the rice. Garnish with plenty of cilantro (this is not optional, cilantro MAKES this dish!)