Better Butter Chicken

A mild, tangy curry to introduce your kids to Indian cuisine. I’ve made a few ingredients swaps for a healthier version with a dash of veggies. Use left-overs to make a butter chicken pie.

500g boneless chicken thighs
1 ½ cups of yoghurt
3 tbs coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbs garam masala
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ brown onion, finely diced
2 carrots, diced
1 large potato, diced
1 tbs coconut oil
4 tbs tomato paste
300 ml chicken stock
½ cup light cream
1 cucumber, diced
½ red onion, diced
Brown basmati rice to serve 

Chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Marinate the chicken pieces in the yoghurt, garlic, ginger, 2 tbs of coriander and dried spices. Try to marinate overnight or at least an hour or so.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add the carrot and potato. Cook for around 8-10 minutes until tender – but not overcooked. Drain and set aside.

 In a frying pan, heat up the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onion until soft. 

Turn the heat up high, then add the chicken pieces to the hot frying pan and cook until browned. Reserve as much yoghurt marinade as you can – this will be added later.

Once the chicken is browned, add the carrot and potato, then the rest of the yoghurt marinade, chicken stock and tomato paste. Stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

When ready to serve, stir in the cream until warm. Serve with a side dish of diced cucumber and red onion. Top the butter chicken with coriander leaves and serve on rice.

Original recipe by Hayley McKee for Hagen’s Organic
Photography Kelli Morris