(Butter-less) Butter Chicken

I love the feeling when a parcel arrives - the anxious moment of unwrapping the new package - to discover that it is definitely a purchase which was well thought out. The Optimum 9400 is a perfect example (yes, it is better than a Vitamix and cheaper too!). This is in fact the blender which I used to make the cauliflower "rice". I will get to that a bit further on in the post. 

First though, butter-less butter chicken - it is a very quick and simple dish to make, and tastes great. Serve it up with some bread and/or rice, or if you're into a health kick at the moment, try it with cauliflower rice.

Butter-less Butter Chicken

• 1 small brown onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger, chopped
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1-2 tsp red chilli flakes (as much/little as you like depending on the heat preferred)
• 4 tbsp tomato paste/puree
• 400g chicken breast/thigh, cubed
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp plain Greek yoghurt
• salt to season

Mix all the spices well in a bowl (leave the tomato paste/puree).

Brown the onion, garlic and ginger in some oil (I like using either rice bran oil for heavier style cooking, or plain olive oil; leave extra virgin olive oil for finishing touches of dishes due to the lower cooking/heating point)- the onion should be glassy/clear, and the aromas filling the air. 

Next, stir in the spice mixture until it is well incorporated with the aromatics, creating a nice paste in the pot/pan. Add in the chicken pieces and start browning, then stirring in the tomato paste/puree and water; let simmer for approximately 10-20 minutes, until chicken is quite tender (note that if you are using chicken breast, don't let this simmer for too long as the breast can become tough due to the minimal fat content, however if using thigh this is usually not an issue). 

At this point, season the mixture well and remove from heat. Stir in the yoghurt to finish off the dish (I like using 0%-fat, i.e. no-fat plain Chobani Greek Yoghurt) to create that creamy texture. 

Green Beans (Side)

• green beans, snapped in half

Bring water in a pot to a rolling boil. Add in the beans into the boiling water for approximately 20-30 seconds, and remove from water immediately. This will ensure that the green beans remain crunchy whilst removing the 'green' flavour, and also ensures that they are not overcooked.

At this point, it is up to you if you decide to dress the green beans, or leave them as they are - I like leaving them as the sauce from the butter chicken dresses them very nicely (toss with a little extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper if needed).

Cauliflower Rice (Side)

• half cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

Using the Optimum 9400 blender, set it on the lowest setting and use the tamper to create the cauliflower rice. Alternatively, use a food processor at the lowest setting (you do not want to create a puree from the cauliflower as we are not making a mash).

Heat a pan with cooking oil (once again, olive oil or rice bran oil), then slightly brown the garlic (don't overcook the garlic as they will burn very easily). Add in the cauliflower rice and cook until the  rice becomes slightly transparent (this means the cauliflower is cooked). 

I would love to know if you made this differently. Please note that the measurements for all the recipes I post are estimates/approximate quantities (I usually do things visually/by taste and never really measure things exactly/cook them to the exact time - you'll find that the more often you cook, the better you'll become at estimating)! Bon appetit ~ Spooner.