Best Butter Chicken

GF, RSF, NF
Serves: 4-6

‘Hey Siri, make me a Butter Chicken that's better and quicker than getting take-out’. With my busy schedule travelling all around Australia and having long days on set, I have mastered the ultimate cheat’s butter chicken. What you lack in preparation time, you gain in flavour. So whether it's on a lazy weekend or a busy weeknight, this will be on repeat in your house, just try it. 

Ingredients: 

1 brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped 
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3 cm (1 1/4 in) piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup (60 ml / 2 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
50 g (1 3/4 oz) grass-fed butter or ghee
2 tbsp granulated coconut sugar 
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried chilli powder, more if you like it hot
1 tsp garam masala 
1 tsp turmeric 
1 tsp ground cardamom
800 g (1 lb 12 oz) free-range chicken thigh fillets, skin off, halved
2 tbsp tomato paste
400 g (14 oz) tin crushed or diced tomatoes
1/2 cup (125 ml / 4 fl oz) bone broth or chicken broth
2/3 cup (160 ml / 5 1/4 fl oz) tinned coconut cream
Ground black pepper and salt

For the Broth Basmati Rice 
2 cups (400 g / 14 oz) basmati rice 
3 cups (750 ml / 26 fl oz) chicken broth or water 

To Serve 
Fresh roughly torn coriander (cilantro), to garnish 
4 x gluten-free garlic naan, optional

Method:

For this recipe, you’ll want to get started with the rice. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the rice and broth, and bring to a boil, allow it to bubble away for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. 

Continue to cook on a simmer for another 10 minutes until there are no signs of broth or water. Turn off the heat and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes with the lid remaining on. Just before serving, fluff the rice with a fork to make it nice and light. 

Meanwhile, while your rice is cooking, get into the butter chicken. In a blender combine the onion, garlic, ginger and oil and blitz until it becomes a thick paste. 

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt your butter or ghee, add in the coconut sugar and dried spices and stir, cooking them until lovely and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. 

Add in the paste you’ve just blitzed and continue to cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes until everything starts to go lightly golden brown and aromatic. Add the chicken thigh, getting some colour on the outside to lock in the tenderness, for 2-3 minutes, searing both sides and then finally stir through the tomato paste for 1-2 minutes. 

Add the tinned tomatoes, broth and coconut cream, season with black pepper and salt and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and become lovely and thick and the chicken is cooked through. 

Serve alongside your broth basmati rice, garnish with some freshly torn coriander and serve alongside some garlic naan if you like.