First step was to roast the chicken. To do this, I took two chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on), and put them on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper and some fresh chopped thyme. I then roasted them in the oven at 375F for 40 min (or until cooked). I find that roasting a chicken with the skin on gives a more flavourful meat that is nice and moist. Once the chicken was cooled, I took off the skin, took the meat off the bones and shredded it. Sorry, I forgot to take picture of this part!!
The next step was to soften half a sweet yellow onion in 1 tbsp of coconut oil (you could also use olive oil as well) with some salt (about 1 tsp). I use my Le Cruset cast-iron pot for cooking dishes like this -- I love this pot! It is nice and heavy and gives a nice even heat while cooking.
While the onion was softening, I prepared my spices. There are lots, but it makes for such nice flavour. I used 1 tsp each of cumin, tandoori spice, ground ginger, and garam masala; 2 tsp each of paprika, chili powder, and tumeric; 1/8 tsp cayanne pepper (you can add more if you like it spicy) and a few microplane shaves of nutmeg.
Once the onion was softened, I added in 1 tbsp of tomato paste and all the spices. It is important to 'fry' both the tomato paste and the spices -- it really wakes up the flavours!
While the tomato paste and spices were frying, I prepared the tomato base. Here is the secret for the creaminess -- beans!!! Yes, that is right, white beans! To make the tomato base, I added one can of whole tomatos (I use San Marzano tomatoes), I can of white beans (drained and rinsed), 1 tbsp of almond butter and water (1-2 cups) to my Vitamix.
Blend them together until smooth and creamy -- add more water, if needed. You are looking to make a sauce that is thick and creamy. Preparing the tomato base works best if you have a high-powered blender (I use a Vitamix), since it produces a really fine, silky texture.
Next, add the tomato base into the onions and spice, along with the shredded chicken (10 oz) and simmer for about 45 min. If the mixture is too thick, add more water, if needed -- I think I added about 3-4 cups total. Also, taste for seasoning, and add more salt, if needed.
Serve over rice (or quinoa) and garnish with some fresh thyme or cilantro. Enjoy!! See below for the full recipe and nutritional information.
Guilt-Free Butter Chicken:
Makes 6 servings (1 cup each serving)
2 Chicken breasts, roasted and shredded (about 10 oz of meat total).
1 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
1/2 sweet onion
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tandoori spice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp tumeric
1/8 tsp cayanne pepper (you can add more if you like it spicy)
a few microplane shaves of nutmeg
28 oz (796 mL) can of whole, peeled tomatos
19 oz (540 mL) can of white beans, drained and rinsed (cannellini beans)
1 tbsp almond butter
~3-4 cups of water
Nutritional Info (I calculated this based on the ingredients on My Fitness Pal)
Per 1 cup serving:
Calories: 252
Total Fat: 6 g
Saturated: 2.3 g
Polyunsaturated: 0 g
Monounsaturated: 0.2 g
Trans: 0 g
Cholesterol: 26.7 mg
Sodium: 471.0 mg
Potassium: 0 mg
Total Carbs: 25 g
Dietary Fibre: 5.7 g
Sugars: 6.7 g
Protein: 23.7 g
Vitamin A: 18.2%
Vitamin C: 24.7%
Calcium: 10%
Iron: 24.3%
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