((Healthy)) Tangy Butter Chicken Curry (Murgh Makhani)

Santa…… and just like that…..

He gone.

that was…… fast. no wonder why i get super yucky post holidays. the build up is epic and then the climax is meh. and the falling action is filled with gorging your face with unhealthies followed by a resolution that is basically set up for a day of reckoning filled with doom (new years day).

and then on top of all of this- if you have a kiddo- you have to explain to them that santa is going on vacation for a full year but somehow also have to drill in their brain that he is watching so they still must be on their best behavior for the next 365 days.

yeah, no.

but now that the holidays have pretty much come to an end for the next several months (i’m just gonna go right ahead and skip over new years evil. because that’s exactly what it is) it’s time to put your focus back on YOU. That’s right. Instead of totally dreading the next couple of months, I’m gonna look at it as a time to make the best me. Because I always feel like there is room to grow. And if you feel like you are already at your best you? Keep going. Being stuck at a plateau gets old quick so you gotta keep moving on up. And to be honest, it’s the little things.

Like for me: having a never ending stash of toilet paper has made me feel like a diva. I kid you not. I even put it on the actual toilet paper rod thingy. And i legit feel like i’m at a 5 star hotel every time i’m in the bathroom. Totally weird right?

Wrong.

Okay, maybe a little right. baby steps.

Anyways. Making healthier meals ALSO makes me feel like a champ. I go to bed feeling less guilty about my days choices, and I wake up feeling more energized and well rested and look FORWARD to eating leftovers and repeating the same positive steps. And when I do allow myself a couple of cheat meals (because, human) I don’t feel terrible and I actually feel like I deserve it.

So here’s to a better you. Because you’re already great. So maybe a better great you 😉 ((Healthy)) Tangy Butter Chicken Curry (Murgh Makhani) . Making dinner dreams come true and healthier eating much more attainable.

Recipe Notes:

Oven tandoor chicken is what influenced this dish. I have a recipe I posted a year ago for it, you can find that here. 

I used an opal apple however if that variety is not available you can use golden delicious or even a granny smith (though that will be a little more tangy).

If a fresh tomato isn’t available, or if you don’t have any fresh tomatoes frozen in your freezer leftover from summer, you can just use an 8 oz can of tomato sauce. Keeping the tomato paste the same. You may need to lessen salt if your sauce is salty.

This isn’t your average restaurant butter chicken. That is MUCH creamier and ten times more rich than this dish. However. I wanted this to be flavored roughly the same without all of the fat content. And extra added health with a twist (hence spinach + apple).

You may go ahead and add a little more greek yogurt to the dish if you’d like. However because you don’t drain all of the juice from the tandoor chicken I didn’t find it necessary. Totally up to you! If you’re trying to be healthy and want a little more cream add a little more non fat plain greek yogurt.

Optional to serve over rice with a little tumeric (for flavor + color) and garnish with fresh cilantro! You can also serve over this indian cauli rice I made many less wrinkles ago.

((Healthy)) Tangy Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

 

Author: Julia Calleo

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 4 servings

• Serving size: ¼ of skillet
• Calories: 356

• Fat: 14.3g
• Carbohydrates: 18.8g
• Fiber: 3.3g
• Protein: 38.1g

Recipe type: Dinner

Prep time:  6 hours

Cook time:  1 hour

Total time:  7 hours

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Chicken tandoor served in a tangy curry makes for a healthier spin on restaurant butter chicken without sacrificing flavor!

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp ground mustard
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp ground garam masala
• 1 cup non fat plain greek yogurt

The Rest:

• 1.5 pound chicken breast (or about 3 large breasts) cut into 1" cubes
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 opal apple, halved and then sliced thin
• 1 tomato, processed
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp honey
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 tsp kosher salt + to taste
• 1 tsp coarse black pepper + to taste

Optional:

• Basamiti rice mixed with a dash of tumeric
• cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. In a small bowl add all of your marinade ingredients and whisk together.
2. Next in a ziplock bag or container with lid, add your chicken cubes and cover with marinade. Seal vessel and shake, shake, shake until marinade is covering all chicken bits.
3. Let chicken marinade for at least 4 hours or more (I do the whole over night marinade)
4. minutes before chicken is ready to cook remove from fridge and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Once oven is preheated. Place cast iron, or any heavy bottom skillet pan into oven with 1 tbsp of ghee. Let ghee melt and then remove pan from oven and add chicken pieces.
6. Place chicken into oven and bake for about 20 minutes, stirring half way through.
7. Turn oven on to a broil and broil chicken for an additional 6 minutes, or until tops begin to blacken.
8. Remove from oven and remove chicken into separate vessel, set aside.
9. Discard ONLY 2 tbsp of the liquid and keep the remaining in pan.
10. Place pan over medium heat and add remaining 2 tbsp of ghee to pan. Melt. Add minced garlic and sweet onion. Saute for about 5 minutes.
11. Add apple slices, tomato puree and tomato paste. Mix together.
12. Add ginger, chili powder, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and honey. Mix. Lower heat to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.
13. Add your baby spinach and mix until spinach wilts. Add kosher salt & pepper to taste.
14. Next add your chicken back into vessel and mix together until chicken is covered. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
15. Serve over basamiti rice and garnish with cilantro.

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