A winner Healthy Butter Chicken Recipe that’s made WITHOUT any butter or cream! This Chicken Curry recipe is paleo and Whole 30 approved and is super super delicious! This is a great Indian meal prep recipe too.
The ONE Healthy Butter Chicken Recipe, that you can actually eat everyday without feeling guilty.
Seems unbelievable, right? But it isn’t. and like I say in almost every post, this is a healthy recipe but that doesn’t mean its a compromise.This is a great recipe irrespective of it’s calorie count!
Making the curry or the gravy of my Healthy Butter Chicken will really be an Eye Opener for you.That’s because there is no spending hours sautéing the onions and tomatoes to achieve that rich curry base .Instead, that silky ,buttery tomato gravy can be achieved by pureeing boiled onions and tomatoes. Really! you have to make it to believe it.
It’s a quick and simple recipe.I have given both stove top and instant pot methods below.This can also be made very easily in a traditional pressure cooker too.
The resulting dish is perfect- sweet, salty, sour. The cardamom just sings through the dish.In my opinion that’s the hero spice.
Healthy Butter Chicken Substitutions
To make this curry vegetarian, you can substitute the chicken with paneer and make a Paneer butter Masala.
You can also substitute the Chicken with Tofu to make this into a vegan curry.The sauce of this recipe will really go with anything.Even a simple stir fry of seasonal veggies in this sauce will be super yummy!
Healthy Butter Chicken Meal Prep
As I said above, this recipe is really good for make ahead meal preps.The chicken doesn’t dry out and retains the moisture because of the curry.Frankly,I can just about eat this everyday! In fact some weeks I do!lol.
Pair this curry with quinoa or millets and a side of some veggies and you are done! A beautifully balanced meal for one ready!
This is also a great freezer safe meal.You can just pop it in freezer bags or portioned sealed boxes and freeze it, for up to 3 months.It defrosts beautifully and without any textural change.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Oil or Ghee Sesame Oil or Coconut Oil or Vegetable oil
- 1 Chicken Breast Cut into slices
- Salt to Taste
- 1 tsp Honey/Palm Sugar or White Sugar Skip or replace with pureed date for whole 30/ Paleo version
- 1 tsp Dried Fenugreek/Kasoori Methi optional
- 1 Bunch Coriander for Garnish
The Butterless butter Gravy
- 2 Tomato-quartered
- 2 Onions-quartered
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 inch Ginger
- 3 Kashmiri Chilies substitute with 2 tsp Paprika
- 4 Cashews
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 2 Cloves
- 1 Cup Water
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- In the instant pot, add tomatoes, onions,ginger,garlic,kashmiri chillies, cashews,cardamom,cinnamon and cloves.
- Close the lid.Set the steam release at Sealing Position and pressure cook for 5 minutes.Let the steam release naturally.
- Open the lid and let it cool down.Remove the Cinnamon and Cloves.Using an immersion blender or in a food processor, puree the mix.Empty the pot and reserve the puree.
- Set the pot to sauté. Add ghee or oil to the pot.
- To the pot, add the chicken pieces and saute for 10 minutes.Add the pureed curry back.Bring to boil.
- Season with salt, add honey.Taste and adjust.LAstly sprinkle some crushed dried fenugreek or Kasoori Methi.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with roti, naans or rice. In my case I ate them with millets.
Stove Top Method
- In the deep pot, add tomatoes, onions,ginger,garlic,kashmiri chillies, cashews,cardamom,cinnamon and cloves.
- Cover and boil for 20 minutes.Alternatively pressure cook in traditional pressure cooker for 2 whistles.
- Remove the lid and let it cool down.From this,Remove the Cinnamon and Cloves.Using an immersion blender or in a food processor, puree the mix.
- In a pan add ghee or oil.Once hot, add the chicken pieces and sauté for 10 minutes.Add the pureed curry back.Bring to boil.
- Season with salt, add honey.Taste and adjust.LAstly sprinkle some crushed dried fenugreek or Kasoori Methi.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with roti, naans or rice. In my case I ate them with millets.
Pin this Healthy Butter Chicken Recipe for future!
Other Chicken Curry Recipes you will love!!
Easy Indian Style Chicken Roast | Chicken Roast Masala
Nadan Kozhi Curry- Kerala Chicken Curry
Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo
Tamil Nadu Style Pepper Chicken Curry
Do comment if you have a question