Indian Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is definitely a comforting dish, with its warm, velvety sauce of curry spices coating tender chicken. I use a creamy cashew puree to mellow out the spices and thicken the luscious sauce.

Cuisine

Indian

Course

Main Course

Difficulty

Medium

Duration

1-2 hours

Diet

Low Carb, Low Sodium

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook, Sauté

Keywords

1-2 hours, 4-6 servings, bay leaves, boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped fresh cilantro, cinnamon stick, contributed, cook 18 min, fenugreek seeds, fine sea salt, freshly squeezed, garam masala, garlic, garlic naan, ghee or unsalted grass-fed butter, ginger, green cardamom pods, ground cumin, ground turmeric, indian, lemon juice, low carb, low sodium, main course, medium, prep 45 min, pressure cook, sauté, shallots, toasted slivered almonds, tomato paste, tomato puree, whole raw cashews, yellow onion

Prep Time

45 min

Cook Time

18 min

Servings

4-6 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole raw cashews
6 tablespoons ghee or unsalted grass-fed butter
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 shallots
1/2 yellow onion
1 cup tomato puree
3/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
6 green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons Ginger
2 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
Toasted slivered almonds
chopped fresh cilantro
Garlic Naan

Instructions

Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place the cashews in a bowl and add enough boiling water to cover. Soak for 30 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in an Instant Pot using the Sauté setting. Add the chicken, shallots, and onion and sauté for 8 minutes, until the chicken is browned and the onion is translucent. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons ghee, the tomato puree, tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, ginger, garam masala, cumin, salt, turmeric, and fenugreek and stir to combine. Secure the lid and select the meat/stew setting, or select the Pressure Cook and Manual setting and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain the cashews, rinse, and drain again. Combine the cashews and 3/4 cup water in a blender. Blend on high speed until very smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds in a high-speed blender, or 1 minute in a conventional blender.
When the Instant Pot timer is done, quick release the pressure and stir in the cashew cream. Spoon the butter chicken into serving bowls. Sprinkle with almonds and cilantro and serve with naan on the side.

Notes

Tidbits: Repurpose any leftover sauce by adding it to some sautéed vegetables and rotisserie chicken or cooked shrimp for a quick dinner the next day.

Previous Next