Nut Free Butter Chicken

Our nut free version of the ubiquitous restaurant-style butter chicken has the same delicious authentic flavour and comes together in 40 minutes.

Course Mains

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Butter Chicken, easy chicken curry, nut free butter chicken

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 471kcal

Author Nicole Shroff

Equipment

Medium Saucepan
Handheld Blender

Ingredients

Chicken and stock

3 lb chicken (1½ kg) cut into small pieces
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

Sauce

1 tablespoon oil or ghee
4 pods green cardamom
2 cloves garlic chopped small
1 teaspoon ginger chopped small
3 green chillies roughly chopped
28 oz tinned tomatoes (800g)
⅛ teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon salt to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
⅓ cup butter (75g) cream or yogurt
3 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

Instructions

Chicken and stock

In a large saucepan add 3 lb chicken with enough water to just submerge it, add 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside, strain the stock and set aside for the next step.

Sauce

Add 1 tablespoon oil, 4 pods green cardamom 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger and 3 green chillies to a medium saucepan and heat till fragrant, take care not to let the garlic burn.
Stir in 2 cups (500ml) of chicken stock, 28 oz tinned tomatoes, ⅛ teaspoon ground mace, 1 teaspoon cayenne powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon ground coriander and 1 teaspoon salt, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Blend the tomato mixture till smooth then stir in ⅓ cup butter till melted.
Add the cooked chicken mixing well till fully coated in the sauce and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in 3 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon honey and 3 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves then cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat and serve with warm basmati rice.

Notes

Remove the chicken from the fridge half an hour before using so it is not cold when adding to the curry.

Adding a little more or less of each spice should be fine except accidentally adding too much mace could overwhelm and spoil the dish.

Serve warm with basmati rice or warm nan.

Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in a saucepan on low-medium heat.

Nutrition