Indian Chicken

This dish is a compilation of recipes that I have found online that claim to be authentic. The original dish is called "Butter Chicken" but this is so far removed from traditional fare that I call it Indian Chicken.  Some people don't allow any dairy in their diets when they're doing Paleo but I do so that's that. I have made this recipe many times and it turns out great every time, even when I leave ingredients out by accident or substitute other things.

Spicy Indian Chicken

Ingredients:
-4 boneless chicken breasts, cut up into cubes
-5 cloves of garlic (or 1 heaping Tbsp of minced garlic from a jar)
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
-1/4 tsp ground coriander
-1/4 tsp ground cumin
-1/4 tsp cardamom (ground, not the pods)
-Juice of one lime
-1 onion, chopped
-1/4 cups butter
-1 can tomato sauce (14.5 oz)
-1 can diced tomatoes
-1 cup heavy whipping cream

optional:
-Sriracha sauce
-plain yogurt or low fat sour cream

Cooking Instructions

1. Place chicken with the garlic, spices and lime juice in a large Ziploc bag or a bowl. Stir to cover chicken in spices and marinate 30 minutes to 3 hours. Can be done overnight in the fridge, too.

2. In a large skillet or dutch oven, melt the butter until browned and add in the onion. Stir it until browned and translucent. Add chicken and cook until brown and cooked through.

3. Once chicken is done, pour tomato sauce and diced tomatoes over and stir. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Just before serving pour in the heavy cream. Serve over spaghetti squash or rice.

Notes:
-Adam doesn't eat onions so I leave them out now that we're married. They are an excellent addition but not central to the dish so don't fret if you have a picky eater.
-I have substituted the heavy cream with yogurt and sour cream with great success. You want your sauce to be a light orange color. You can also leave it out if you just want the chicken and tomatoes. The world is your oyster!
-I add in a swirl of Sriracha right before I add the cream. It gives it a nice kick. If you are afraid of the heat, squirt a little bit on your spaghetti squash (I mean a very small amount. Like, half of a dime IF that much) and mix it in to see how you like the flavor. This stuff is HOT!
-The combination of spices is important! Try to get them all if you can!

Spaghetti Squash: cut squash in half and microwave in a plastic bag for 6-8 minutes until it shreds easily and is tender enough to eat. It may need to go in for longer if you have a larger squash. I love this stuff and it reminds me of the cellophane noodles at a noodle house I used to frequent in Atlanta.

Again, I am not a chef nor am I a Paleo expert but when I decided to change the way I eat, this recipe came to mind. I often serve it with a green vegetable on the side (broccoli, asparagus, zucchini...). Adam loves it, and that's saying a lot!

Let me know how you like it if you try it!


-Sunny