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Make it Yourself: Kid-Friendly Butter Chicken

May 26, 2013 By Lena

Saucy, savoury and aromatic, Butter Chicken has long been a crowd-pleaser and takeout favourite. I’m usually hit with a craving every few months; the sudden desire to swirl warm, fresh naan in the pungent, rich tomato sauce is enough to make me drool.

And while it’s a close second to Chicken Tikka Masala when it comes to worldwide popularity, Butter Chicken does have one distinct advantage: not only is it delicious, it’s kid-friendly too.

In fact, given the choice between chicken fingers or tender morsels of delicious Indian cuisine, my boys will choose the latter every single time. They love the creamy, flavourful sauce and the little bit of heat is well tolerated by kids of all ages (Reid first developed an affinity for the dish at 8 months old!). Additionally, all of the aromatic spices (garam masala, cumin and chili powder) are mild for young palettes; Butter Chicken contains no curry powder, fenugreek or cardamom – spices that tend to have an acquired taste.

The prep work is slightly longer than an old mac & cheese but the payoff is well worth it – a potful of delicious goodness that yields 4-6 servings (and tastes better the next day). This recipe (adapted from allrecipes.com) is slightly “Canadianized” for most palettes – believe it or not, you can find the spices anywhere, even Walmart! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 shallots, finely chopped (substitute: 1 small white onion)
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoons minced ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala (do NOT substitute curry powder)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup 1% or 2% plain yogurt, stirred until smooth
1 cup (250 ml) half-and-half (10% light cream)
1 cup (250 ml) tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper

1 tablespoon vagetable oil
8-10 Maple Leaf Prime boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala (do NOT substitute curry powder)
1 pinch cayenne pepper (omit for a milder dish)
handful of chopped cilantro, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté shallots until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, minced garlic, minced ginger, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin, ground coriander and bay leaf. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and cook for and additional 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in yogurt and half-and-half. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper; stir. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken thigh pieces and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and a pinch of cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced and chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add cooked chicken to pot of sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes on medium-low heat, or until thickened. Garnish with cilantro and serve with fresh naan or over basmati rice.

Tips:

– Be sure to stir the yogurt before adding it to the sauce, or it will separate and make the sauce grainy.
– You can adjust the heat by adding more/less cayenne pepper. 1/4 teaspoon will yield about a “6” on the heat scale; add slightly less or omit the pinch added to the chicken if you’d like to tone down the spice. And taste your sauce! Remember, you can always add more but can’t take it out.
– If you have an Indian or Indo-Pakistani market in your area, stop by and pick up some garam masala from them; it’ll have a more authentic flavour than the supermarket variety. A small bag is around $3.00 and will last up to a year.
– Yes, using Maple Leaf Prime chicken thighs really does make a difference; plump, juicy and tender – I won’t make this dish with anything else.

What are some of your favourite kid-friendly chicken dishes? Do you regularly enjoy new and delicious ethnic cuisines with your family?

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Butter Chicken, easy recipes, kid-friendly recipes, Maple Leaf Prime Chicken

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ella Pretty Blog

    May 27, 2013 at 12:25 am

    Yum yum yum! Now I want naan dipped in butter chicken sauce…drool!

    I haven’t yet mastered a butter chicken recipe, so I’ll have to try yours! My kids do like my chicken curry though: white rice + freshly cooked chicken curry = clean plates!

    We mainly eat chicken or salmon in my house – so I’m always looking for new recipes to try.

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 6:48 am

      Try this one! Even my mother – who grinds coconut and spices from scratch, cause she’s old school like that – loves this recipe.

      • Janice

        May 29, 2013 at 10:30 pm

        Looks so good!!

        • Lena

          May 29, 2013 at 11:07 pm

          Are you craving spicy food, Janice? :)

  2. Teresa Claire

    May 27, 2013 at 12:26 am

    Butter Chicken? I love Butter Chicken!! I love Curry but I really love Butter Chicken!! I am going to print this recipe off…thank you!!

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 6:49 am

      You’re welcome Teresa! Give it a try – you’ll love it!

  3. Nicole W.

    May 27, 2013 at 1:08 am

    Yummm, I LOOOVE Butter chicken! It’s one of my top 5 meals. My husband makes it once in a while, but he makes it sooo spicy, it will be good to keep this recipe in mind for when we have kids!

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 7:00 am

      The great thing about butter chicken is that it’s always easy to tone down the spice – just adjust the amount of cayenne pepper, because none of the other ingredients impart “heat”, as it were. Love that it’s one of your top five meals!

  4. Doris Calvert

    May 27, 2013 at 1:24 am

    I cannot take a lot of spice anymore even though I love it so going to try this I am hopeful I can eat it because I love it! thanks Lena

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 7:05 am

      Try it Doris! Just go easy on the chili powder and cayenne and you’ll be fine! Enjoy!

  5. Lena

    May 27, 2013 at 6:58 am

    Funny. Is your name Estella or Char? You seem to have a habit of leaving comments while adding my name, or the name of my child, in your fake e-mail addresses. Thanks for commenting from the same IP address from your home in Mississauga, though – it makes it easier to track your comments.

    This recipe was given to me years ago by a coworker, but I never thought to inquire on the source, or whether she pulled it from a particular site. So of course I did search on allrecipes this morning and found the recipe you’re referring to, and as such, credited the author in my post. See? Simple.

    And by the way, I still love my Michael Kors bag, the other post you commented on. Thanks for thinking of me!

    • Estella

      May 28, 2013 at 5:37 pm

      That’s awesome :) My sister also has a blog and was questioned about paraphrasing an article, so when I saw the similarities, I thought it would suck if you went through the same thing, just in case! You’re welcome!

  6. AlexandraSD

    May 27, 2013 at 7:22 am

    This looks delicious and I’m thankful that it’s a 6 on the heat scale! I think I can handle that!

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 7:41 am

      Yes, it’s not that spicy at all! Simply tone down the cayenne or omit it from the chicken altogether.

  7. Delia

    May 27, 2013 at 7:37 am

    Love butter chicken but all the recipes call for a few ingredients and I know that can’t be right. This one looks like a keeper! Thank you for sharing!

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 7:42 am

      Hahaha I’ve come across the same thing, and that’s why I was so happy to have received this recipe from a friend! An Indian dish must have at least 20 ingredients to be yummy!

  8. Rossana

    May 27, 2013 at 8:47 am

    Mmm, yum and it is gluten free, even better! Will have to try this! :)

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 8:58 am

      Please do Rossana, you’ll love it!

  9. Courtney

    May 27, 2013 at 9:51 am

    Seems so easy. I will be buying the supplies for this tonight. Looks so delicious!

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 10:03 am

      It IS easy! Yes, there are a lot of ingredients, and quite a few steps. But as I’m sure you’ve seen, there’s nothing complicated about the dish at all!

  10. Tenille

    May 27, 2013 at 10:34 am

    All this time I have been using curry like it’s going out of style! GAH!

    I use chicken breasts, is there a reason for thighs?

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 12:45 pm

      LOL no, no, no! “Curry powder” is very much a “kitchen sink” kind of spice – many people assume anything they add it to becomes “Indian”. For this recipe, you’ll want garam masala – not the paste, but the ground spice mixture. The reason I suggest to use thighs instead of breasts is because you’l want to simmer the sauce and chicken together until the flavours mingle; if you do this with breasts, you may risk overcooking them. ENJOY!

  11. frank

    May 27, 2013 at 10:46 am

    Looks delish, will try and get back to you however I’m sure its amazing- as are all your recipes. Mike is a lucky guy.

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 12:47 pm

      Ha! Spoken like a true friend! Thanks Frank!

  12. Raj

    May 27, 2013 at 11:24 am

    Your butter chicken recipe looks pretty yummy – thanks for pointing out that curry powder isn’t the same as garam masala!

    I was just going to share that I’ve recently discovered that my kids will eat anything in butter chicken sauce! I’ve used paneer, tofu, and even potatoes and turnips in the sauce at times and they’ll down it. So if anyone is looking to hide something healthier in their kids dinner, butter chicken sauce is your friend!

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 12:51 pm

      My pleasure – when I see curry powder in butter chicken recipes, I cringe! And that’s a great tip – I suppose I could even double the sauce and keep it aside to toss with potatoes and paneer. Thanks for sharing Raj!

  13. Anne Taylor

    May 27, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    When my kids were growin up they also loved Butter Chicken! This recipe looks great! I think its time for grandma to make some!

    thanks

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 12:51 pm

      I definitely think it’s time for grandma to make some! Enjoy Anne!

  14. NT

    May 27, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    Yummmm! Must try this recipe. Hubby buys the butter chicken from Costco, and while its edible, it’s just not butter chicken!
    Thanks Lena.

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 12:53 pm

      You’re very welcome NT! There are quite a few steps but they’re all super easy. You’ll love it!

  15. Debbie Bashford

    May 27, 2013 at 12:46 pm

    May try this one, did not like the Butter Chicken mix I picked up a while ago.

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 12:53 pm

      Oh no, no need to do it from a mix! Please do try this recipe!

  16. mrdisco

    May 27, 2013 at 1:16 pm

    that looks tasty!

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 1:27 pm

      Try it Mr. Disco!

  17. Flora M

    May 27, 2013 at 4:28 pm

    Any dishes with curry in them definitely do not agree with me – this recipe looks delicious and NO CURRY !!! YAY !!! Will keep the recipe and next time I go shopping I will pick up the one ingredient I don’t usually have at home – garam masala. I actually found a recipe to make your own garam masala powder… http://www.rakskitchen.net/2012/11/garam-masala-powder-recipe.html

    • Lena

      May 27, 2013 at 5:20 pm

      YAY! To tell the truth, I’m not really a fan of straight up curry powder either Flora – it’s a bit to pungent and bitter for my liking. Wonderful find! That looks like an amazing recipe for making your own garam masala – thank you so much for the link!

  18. Marissa

    May 28, 2013 at 7:56 am

    Yum! This Butter Chicken looks so delicious and I can’t wait to make it for dinner today. Thanks for sharing Lena and as always, your blog posts display such professional pictures.

    • Lena

      May 29, 2013 at 9:11 pm

      Thanks Marissa! Please do let me know how you like it!

  19. Victoria Ess

    May 29, 2013 at 10:30 am

    We love Indian cuisine, but we usually get takeout or eat out, and I have yet to try to make it at home. I get intimidated by the thought of how much work is involved, but looking at this recipe, it doesn’t seem that complicated at all. Thanks for the recipe!

    • Lena

      May 29, 2013 at 9:18 pm

      You’re welcome Victoria! This is definitely one of the least complicated Indian dishes to make. Although there are many ingredients, in essence, you’re just throwing everything together!

  20. Judy C

    May 29, 2013 at 1:24 pm

    I have never tried butter chicken so I might just have to be brave and try your recipe!

    • Lena

      May 29, 2013 at 9:19 pm

      No bravery needed, Judy! Just a little measuring and simmering, you’ll love it!

  21. Lisa Paquette

    May 29, 2013 at 6:16 pm

    Oooh, that looks yummy! Kid-friendly food is always helpful!

    • Lena

      May 29, 2013 at 9:19 pm

      Indeed! Make meal times a lot easier for sure!

  22. Jenny

    May 30, 2013 at 1:37 am

    This looks so good – I will definitely try this with Maple Leaf Prime’s chicken thighs! ;) Thanks for the tips too (cooking is not really my forte so I need all the help and tips I can get!) P.s. This is random, but I really like that dish too!

    • Lena

      June 8, 2013 at 12:12 pm

      I love the dish too – I found it at Winners years ago :) Enjoy!

  23. Lisa H

    May 30, 2013 at 7:50 pm

    Hubby and I love Indian – Im a medium heat gal and he likes it hot! But our son is very picky and other than takeout chinese wont eat anything very ‘ethnic’. So for chicken dishes he will eat – baked breast(plain), drumsticks (plain baked or KFC), and the occasional ( plain) chiken on rice. How exciting huh?

    • Lena

      June 8, 2013 at 12:13 pm

      I *think* he may do okay with butter chicken, because it’s not spicy, and tomato based! Please do let me know what you think!

  24. LindaL

    June 9, 2013 at 8:40 am

    Mmmm looks delicious my kids may even eat this!!! Definitely going to make this!

    • Lena

      June 12, 2013 at 7:00 pm

      Please do! My boys love it!

  25. Chandra Christine O'Connor

    June 10, 2013 at 8:26 am

    trying this one

    • Lena

      June 12, 2013 at 7:00 pm

      :) Let me know what you think!

  26. WandaLee Newell

    June 11, 2013 at 9:47 am

    This is one I am going to have to try,thank you :)

    • Lena

      June 12, 2013 at 7:00 pm

      You’re welcome WandaLee!

  27. Darrah Bailey

    June 13, 2013 at 11:25 pm

    Your recipes look so delicious

    • Lena

      June 16, 2013 at 9:00 am

      Thanks Darrah!

  28. Suzanne Smith

    June 19, 2013 at 1:09 am

    This looks possible for my family – but we’ll need #VEGGIEBREAD Garlic Toast to go with it instead of Naan. I pinned.

    • Lena

      August 17, 2013 at 12:27 pm

      Oh, I LOVE that.

  29. Chandra Christine O'Connor

    August 17, 2013 at 11:53 am

    Ive never tried buttered chicken but you keep your spices in the same containers I keep my spices on. gotta get labels like you I just maker and I have so many diff spices on them sometimes im not sure which is which lol

    • Lena

      August 17, 2013 at 12:27 pm

      Hahaha I wouldn’t know what I was looking at without labels :)

  30. Rick F

    March 28, 2014 at 4:05 pm

    Hmmmm, love butter chicken.

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Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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