Cheats Butter Chicken

Ingredients

• 0.25 cup Vegetable oil (For cooking)
• 1 kg Chicken breast (Cubed)
• 2 tsp Fresh ginger (Grated)
• 1 tbsp Garlic (Crushed)
• 1 packet Curry Masters Butter Chicken spice mix (Packet size not specified; estimated at approximately 100 g)
• 300 ml Water (Mix with the spice mix until smooth)
• 300 ml Thickened cream (The source says to add the cream after the chicken is cooked)
• Fresh coriander leaves (For garnish; amount to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Cut the chicken breast into evenly sized cubes so the pieces cook at the same rate. Grate the ginger and crush the garlic before you begin.

2. 2

   Place a large, deep frying pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Heat until the oil is shimmering but not smoking.

3. 3

   Add the cubed chicken to the hot oil. Stir and mix for about 2 minutes to begin cooking the pieces.

4. 4

   Add the crushed garlic and grated ginger to the pan. Stir and fry with the chicken until the chicken is browned on the outside and the aromatics are fragrant.

5. 5

   In a bowl, combine the entire packet of butter chicken spice mix with 300 ml water. Whisk or stir until the mixture is smooth and free of dry lumps.

6. 6

   Pour the spice-mix slurry over the browned chicken. Stir thoroughly so the sauce coats all the chicken pieces and the mixture is evenly combined.

7. 7

   Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally if needed, until the chicken is cooked through. For food safety, the thickest pieces should reach 165°F/74°C internally.

8. 8

   Add the thickened cream to the pan and stir it into the sauce. Continue simmering gently until the cream is heated through; avoid a hard boil so the sauce remains smooth.

9. 9

   Taste and adjust only if needed, keeping in mind that the packaged spice mix may already contain salt and seasoning.

10. 10

    Garnish the butter chicken with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice and naan.

Notes

The post specifically recommends serving this with rice and naan. The naan mentioned is the author's separate “Simple Dough” recipe from the cookbook Middle Eastern Simple and is not included here. Packet size and the amount of coriander were not specified. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat gently until piping hot.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• South Asian
• Indian-inspired
• quick meal
• one-pan
• chicken
• creamy
• weeknight dinner