Butter Chicken & Naan
This creamy, delicious Indian dish is simple to make – and fabulous! It’s called Butter Chicken, not because it’s full of that ingredient, but because of its rich, creamy sauce. Serve with rice and/or naan bread. (I’m including recipes for both.)
Butter Chicken
Chicken Marinade
2# Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
½ C Plain yogurt
1½ Tbs Garlic, minced
1 Tbs Fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 teasp Garam Masala (I use Gryffon Ridge)
1 teasp Turmeric
1 teasp Cumin
1 teasp Paprika
1 teasp Salt
Mix yogurt and spices together, then toss in the chicken and mix well. Let marinate for an hour at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge.
In a Dutch oven or large sauce pan, heat up 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil over medium heat.
Add chicken in batches and brown, then set aside. (Chicken does not have to be cooked through as it will finish cooking in the sauce.)
Sauce
2 Tbsp Ghee (or butter)
1 ea Large onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 teasp Cumin
2 teasp Garam Masala
1½ teasp Ground coriander seed
2 teasp Chili Powder
1½ teasp Salt
½ teasp Black pepper
14 oz can Crushed tomatoes
1 C Heavy cream
In the same pan you sauteed the chicken, add ghee or butter and melt. Add chopped onion and sautee for about 3-5 minutes, it’s ok if they brown slightly.
Add garlic and ginger and sautee another minute or two.
Add spices and let cook for 30-45 seconds, then add crushed tomato. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Using an immersion blender (or heat-proof blender or food processor) puree sauce until it is very smooth.
Stir in the cream, making sure to keep the heat on low. Toss the chicken back into the sauce, including any juices, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve over rice.
Rice Hack!
Place 2 C of rice and 4 C cold water in a pan with a tightly fitting lid. (For more rice, use the same ratio 1:2.) Place the pan on high heat and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, turn it off and forget about it for 30 minutes. Do NOT remove the lid until you are ready to eat.
Naan
½ C Water (warmish, not hot)
¼ C Plain Greek yogurt (room temperature)
3 T Olive Oil
2 teasp Yeast (use instant or bread machine yeast)
1 teasp Sugar
½ teasp Salt
1 ea Egg, whisked, room temperature
2½-3 C Flour
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
1 clove Fresh garlic, minced
Mix water, yogurt, oil, yeast, sugar and salt, then stir in the whisked egg.
Stir in the flour and mix/knead until it forms a ball of smooth dough.
Grease the inside of a mixing bowl, and place the dough inside, getting oil on all sides.
Cover and place in a warm location for 30-60 minutes, until doubled in size.
Place butter and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat on the stove.
Place a medium sized cast iron pan on medium high heat, with no oil or butter in it.
Divide the dough into 8 equal balls and roll out to 5-6” diameter.
When the cast iron is very hot, place a disc of dough in it and brown on each side (just a couple of minutes.)
Remove from pan, and immediately brush with garlic butter.
You can keep the naan warm in a low oven, as long as it is covered with foil.
