OMGG Butter Chicken

I made the most delicious butter chicken last night that everyone agreed had to be written down before I either forgot the recipe or decided to modify it!  A dish that could feed a tribe of 6 hungry adults, that everyone loved and was easy to cook and didn’t take very long to make.  Food that ticks all these boxes makes me a very happy mumma!  Do yourself a favour and give my OMGG (Oh My Gracious Goodness) Butter Chicken a try!!

INGREDIENTS:

4 tbs ghee, you could also use butter or coconut oil 1 large onion, diced 4 garlic cloves, crushed 4 teaspons garam masala 2 teaspoons ground cardamom 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon chilli powder (more or less to taste – to make kid friendly omit completely) 4 tablespoons tomato paste 2 teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons lemon juice 270ml coconut cream 1.5kg chicken thigh fillets, diced 400g tin crushed tomato + 1/3 tin water Handful of fresh herbs from the garden 1-2 tablespoons almond meal

Cauliflower rice or steamed rice, to serve

METHOD:

Heat the ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat. 

Add the onion and saute for about 4 minutes until translucent. 

Turn the heat down to low and stir in the garlic and spices.  Allow the spices to heat for a minute or two to release even more flavour. 

Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. 

Add the salt, lemon juice, coconut cream and mix well. 

Turn the heat up to medium and bring the sauce to a simmer. 

Add the chicken and stir until well coated with the sauce.  Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. 

Add the crushed tomato and herbs, stir into sauce. 

Cover the saucepan with a loose fitting lid, lower the heat and allow the chicken to simmer for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. 

Mix through the almond meal (adjust for personal preference, adding more for a thicker sauce, less for a thinner).  Allow to simmer for a further 5 minutes with lid off. 

Serve on a bed of cauliflower rice or steamed rice, garnished with basil or coriander.

* Notes from Gracious Goodness :

You know how I like to make things from scratch so here are some hints if you do too!

Sea Salt – I used 1 teaspoon of sea salt and another heaped teaspoon of veggie stock paste.  The stock paste is really salty so I use it like salt in my recipes, but does add a little extra umami oomph to the taste of sauces.

Chicken – 1.5kg is the perfect quantity for the sauce however if you don't have this much meat in the fridge simply make as directed and save the left over sauce. The sauce will freeze nicely. The next time you want a quick meal, add the sauce and your chicken to a saucepan and simmer until the chicken is cooked. Instant butter chicken that will beat an expensive take away, hands down! You can also use chicken breast if you prefer but thigh has a more authentic texture.

Tomato - If you have home preserved or frozen tomatoes from summer, use 500g and omit the extra water.

Herbs – I am a serial bit of this, bit of that herb picker… the first time I made this recipe I used a generous handful of parsley, coriander and Thai basil because that’s what I had growing in the garden. Since then I've made this recipe using all sorts of complimentary herbs in varying quantities and it has tasted delicious each time. It's even a good opportunity to sneak some extra greens in if you have them - shredded baby spinach works a treat. If you don’t have any fresh herbs then just omit them or perhaps try a small sprinkle of dried herbs if you have them.

Almond Meal – I use the ground almonds left over from making almond milk in this dish, but you can use bought almond meal or almond flour. You can even grind up a few almonds in a coffee grinder.  Just remember, you want the almond meal to be reasonably fine so it melds into your sauce and makes it thick and creamy rather than having chunks of almonds.

I hope you make and enjoy this recipe! Leave a comment if you enjoyed it!!

Love Sandra xo