Chicken & turkey· GF · NUTS

Butter Chicken

Name: Butter Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 800g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed; 2 tins (800g) chopped tomatoes; 2 (250g) onions; 40g butter; 30g ground almonds; 40g tomato purée; 10g caster sugar; 6g salt; 150ml water; 4 cloves garlic; 25g fresh ginger; 10g (3 tsp) garam masala; 8g paprika; 3g chilli powder; 3g turmeric; 4g ground cumin; 4g ground coriander; 3g dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

Silky tomato and butter sauce with garam masala and fenugreek, loaded with shredded chicken.

makes 21 blocks, about 36p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/butter-chicken/

Illustration of a bowl of Butter Chicken

Time: 1 hr 30 min20 min prep · 1 hr 10 min cook
Makes: 21 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 36p
Calories per blockCalories: 93 kcal
Spice: 2 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

800gchicken thigh fillets, trimmed
2 tins (800g)chopped tomatoes
2 (250g)onions
40gbutter
30gground almonds
40gtomato purée
10gcaster sugar
6gsalt
150mlwater

For the paste

4 clovesgarlic
25gfresh ginger
10g (3 tsp)garam masala
8gpaprika
3gchilli powder
3gturmeric
4gground cumin
4gground coriander
3gdried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

or about 5 tbsp (80g) butter chicken curry paste: coat the chicken in half and fry the rest in step 3

Allergens: Milk, Tree nuts. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Basmati rice and naan · A jacket potato with a spoon of yoghurt · A wrap with red onion and cucumber

Method

Step 1: Mix the chicken with the garlic, ginger, half the garam masala, the chilli powder and salt. Leave while you prep. (10 min)
Step 2: Melt the butter in a wide casserole and soften the finely diced onion until golden. (12 min)
Step 3: Add the purée, remaining spices and fenugreek and fry for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes, ground almonds, sugar, water and the chicken. Cover and simmer gently until the chicken is tender. (35 min)
Step 5: Shred the chicken with two forks in the pan, then blitz briefly with a stick blender for a smooth, rich sauce. Simmer uncovered until thick enough to coat a spoon. (20 min)
Step 6: Taste and season boldly, cool, and freeze in 70g blocks.

Hotter: double the chilli powder and add 2 green chillies with the onion.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	93	8.5g	4.6g	4.5g	1.1g	0.39g
Per 3 blocks	279	25.5g	13.8g	13.5g	3.3g	1.17g

Cook’s notes

Reheating: stir 1 tbsp double cream or Greek yoghurt through each 3-block portion at the end, plus a squeeze of lemon and fresh coriander. Do not freeze the dairy.
Thighs stay juicy; breast works but add a splash more water and cook for less time.
Add extra chilli powder for a hotter sauce.

Serve it

Basmati rice and naan · A jacket potato with a spoon of yoghurt · A wrap with red onion and cucumber.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 279 kcal and 25.5g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Butter Chicken questions

Can I leave out the ground almonds?

For a nut-free sauce, leave them out and simmer it uncovered a little longer to thicken. It will be slightly less rich.

What if I can't find dried fenugreek leaves?

Look for kasuri methi in the world-food aisle or an Asian grocer. It gives the sauce its savoury, slightly bitter edge, but the curry still works without it.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Make the sauce without the chicken, simmering it for about 20 minutes before blending, then stir in cubes of paneer or a drained tin of chickpeas for the last 10 minutes.