I make no secret of the fact that Indian food = comfort food for me. I don’t really know when or how it started–college maybe?–but I absolutely fell in love with the spices, flavors and colors of Indian cuisine.
Indian food is so versatile, which is why it continues to grow in popularity. It offers a little something for everyone, it has options for every taste: vegetarian, pescatarian, carnivore, hot and spicy, or mild and flavorful.
If you looked at our weekly household menu, each week you are guaranteed to find at least one Indian inspired dish on the menu. And like most cuisines, there are varying levels of complexity in the dishes.
I think that Indian food is fun to make, because it has a wide open door to interpretation and you really can’t get the flavors wrong. (As long as you always cook the spices…for the love of all that is mighty, NEVER sprinkle raw curry powder on something!) I think the intimidation for most Indian food newbies is the spices. What are they? Where do you buy them? How do I know what to buy?
The good news is that if you don’t know where to start, my Weekday Butter Chicken is a good place to begin. It needs very little in way of spices, and it is so simple to make. Now, I note this is my WEEKDAY Butter Chicken. My just got off work, but don’t want to call for takeout Butter Chicken. My WEEKEND Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) is an entirely different post since it demands a lot more from the pantry. (Did I mention I collect spices?!)
The even better news is that if you can’t find some of the essentials for WEEKNIGHT Butter Chicken at your local grocery store or Indian market, you can get them online in a couple clicks.
And if you’re completely new to Indian cuisine, this recipe is also a great starting point. It is the dish that got my 9-year-old selective eater hooked on curries! Now this is one of her favorite dishes too!
Weeknight Butter Chicken
Course: DinnerCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy4
servings45
minutesIngredients
1 container nonfat Greek yogurt
3 tbs tikka masala curry paste, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1″ cubes
1 tsp ginger paste
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 tbs ghee or unsalted butter
2 cups of tomato pureé
6 tbs of heavy cream
1 tbs fresh cilantro for garnish
Cooking spray
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 475F.
- Whisk together yogurt, 1 tablespoon of curry paste, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Pat chicken cubes dry with paper towels and add to yogurt mixture. Stir to coat and let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with foil (dull side up) and spray lightly with cooking spray. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from the marinade and place in a single layer on the prepared sheet. Try to space chicken out as much as possible. Bake until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, about 10-12 minutes.
- While chicken bakes, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee/butter in medium sauce pan over medium heat. When butter is hot and foamy, add onion. Cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- When onions are softened, stir in garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons curry paste and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in tomato pureé and increase heat to bring to a boil. Once gently boiling, reduce heat back to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add chicken to reduced sauce and stir to coat. Finish sauce by stirring in 6 tablespoons of heavy cream.
- Garnish with a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve with basmati rice or naan.
Notes
- While it is tempting to try to cut calories by substituting half and half or milk, don’t. It creates grainy texture to the sauce. It tastes ok, but it looks horrible. Butter chicken is meant to be luxurious and creamy, so spring for those few tablespoons of heavy cream. You’ll thank me.
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