Recipe of the day: Buttered Chicken

Here's a recipe you can try at home, which is every bit delicious and calorie-specific, when trying to stick to a healthy eating regimen

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken marinade

•800gms Boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces

•100gms Plain yoghurt

•2 Garlic cloves (minced)

•25gms minced ginger (or finely grated)

•1.5tsp Garam Masala

•1tsp Turmeric

•1tsp Cumin (ground)

•½tsp Red Chilli powder

•½tsp Salt

For the sauce

•½ tsp Olive oil

•½tsp Ghee

•1 large White or brown onion (diced)

•2 Garlic cloves (minced)

•30g minced Ginger (or finely grated)

•1tsp Cumin (ground)

•1tsp Garam Masala

•1tsp Coriander (ground)

•400gms tinned chopped tomatoes

•1tsp Red chilli powder (adjust to your taste preference)

•Salt & pepper to taste

•500ml evaporated milk

•½tsp Kasoori methi (or dried fenugreek leaves)

Method

In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let it marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).

Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until brown for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce).

Heat ghee in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to sweat (about 6 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.

Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin and garam masala. Let it cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.

Add tinned tomatoes, chilli powder and salt. Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.

Remove from heat, scoop mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to help it blend (up to 1/4 cup). Work in batches depending on the size of your blender.

Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan. Stir the evaporated milk and crushed kasoori methi (or fenugreek leaves) through the sauce. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.

Recommended to be served with chopped coriander, basmati rice & raita

Serving size approx. 200g = 340 calories

Ben is a chef at Ben’s Farmhouse and is encouraging healthy eating in schools all around the UAE by catering farm-to-table fresh produce, whilst educating the children in the process.

• Dubai