Butter Chicken and Coconut Rice

Butter Chicken and Coconut Rice Dish Guide

Serves 4

For the Coconut Rice

1 cup jasmine rice

1 cup coconut milk

½ cup water

Salt to taste

Cook the rice by adding all ingredients to a saucepot and bringing to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 18 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

For the Butter Chicken Marinade

1.5-2 lbs. chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

2 T olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T freshly minced ginger

2 t garam masala

1 t turmeric

1 t cumin

1 t cayenne (can substitute paprika)

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Butter Chicken Sauce

2-3 T olive oil or ghee

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T freshly minced ginger

1 t cumin

2 t garam masala

½ t turmeric

1 t ground coriander

1 T Kashmiri chili powder*

14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 cup heavy cream

Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl and stir. Add in the chicken and coat thoroughly. Marinate for 30 minutes up to overnight in the fridge.

To cook, heat olive oil or ghee (clarified butter) over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Cook the chicken (working in batches if needed) for 3-4 minutes a side or until golden brown on the outside. Remove from skillet and add in the onion (add more oil if needed). Stir until softened and slightly browned/charred. Add in the ginger, garlic and spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the tomatoes and reduce heat to medium. Return all chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes. If the tomatoes are reducing too much, add a splash of water.

Once the tomatoes have turned a brick-red color and the chicken is cooked through, add in 1 cup of heavy cream, and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes more and serve with the coconut rice. We like to garnish the rice with fresh lime zest and the chicken with a few cilantro leaves and a lime wedge.