Toddler Approved Flavorful Food: Butter Chicken

I blogged about a wonderful naan recipe a while ago. Today’s recipe is the perfect accompaniment to naan and of course, some rice. I’m convinced that this may be my toddler’s favorite even though its packed with flavor it’s very easy to eat.

Even with red chili peppers, it’s not too overwhelming to fully enjoy without feeling like your mouth is on fire! The concept I use for this dish is one teaspoon of spice for every half pound of meat. And one cup of heavy cream for every 14 oz of tomatoes.

With these rules, I believe you can still produce a flavorful meal that you will keep coming back to. It freezes beautifully and did I mention the naan does as well?

If you’re like me and don’t even have time to boil a side of rice for this dish, you can skip it or just boil and freeze it as well!

Marinate the chicken

The first step is to marinate your chicken the night before or a 1-3 hours before you plan to cook it so that the flavors can soak in. I’ve found that dark meat is much more forgiving as you can overcook it without the texture getting dry and stringy.

1. 2 lbs chicken cut up
2. 2 teaspons garam masala
3. 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
4. 2 teaspoons turmeric
5. 2 teaspoons cumin
6. 2 Tablespoons grated garlic
7. 2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger or 2 teaspoons ginger powder
8. 2 Tablespoons lemon juice or Apple Cider Vinegar
9. 1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt
10. 2 teaspoons salt (you can add more salt to your taste if you mix all the ingredients without the chicken, adjust to the quantity of salt you prefer, then add the chicken last). Over and place in the fridge for an hour or preferably overnight.

Ingredients

Use any pot I use a stock pot for almost anything that way if I double the recipe for freezing, I have enough room.

1. 2 Tablespoons butter
2. 2 small onions
3. 2 teaspoons spicy pepper
4. 2 cloves of garlic minced
5. 2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
6. 2 teaspoons garam masala
7. 2 teaspoons cumin
8. 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
9. 2 teaspoons paprika
10. 2 14oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
11. 2 cups heavy cream

Method

Place the butter in or pot on medium heat. I use medium heat because the spices need to fry for a few seconds to take the flavor to the next level. They burn very easily to medium heat is safest.

To the butter, add the onions for until they soften. Then add the pepper, ginger and garlic and cook for 1 min.

Then add in all your spices and cook stirring continuously for 1 minute.

Add in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Put a lid on it and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Mash up the tomatoes to make a creamer sauce if you choose. This can be done with a blender and strainer for a smooth sauce, potato masher for a chunkier sauce, or just leave it as it is!

The finally two steps are to place in the chicken to cook through. And finally add in the cream. Let it cook together until it thickens slightly and serve up with naan and or rice. Enjoy!

I hope you try it. Please leave a comment!