Butter Chicken

I'm sure it's not an authentic Indian butter chicken recipe (or an authentic tikka masala recipe either), but it is easy and delicious...so I don't give a hoot.

2 tbsp veg oil, divided
1 lb cooked chicken* (dark meat works best for this recipe)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp garam masala 
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I use sour cream to increase fat intake)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Stevia or sugar, to taste (optional)

Heat  oil. Saute onion, garlic and ginger until soft. Stir in butter, lemon juice and spices. Cook, stirring for one minute. Add tomato sauce, cook another 2 minutes. Stir in cream and yogurt (or sour cream). Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add chicken to sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until sauce has thickened and chicken is cooked through.

Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. 

*Simmer bone-in chicken thighs in water until tender, remove meat from bones.  I toss bones back into pot and simmer on low for several hours with some aromatics until I get a nice broth.  


Recipe courtesy of a friend I met online, tweaked a little to increase the fat.