Butter Chicken with Roast Cauliflower

This healthy butter chicken recipe uses low-fat yogurt to dial back the fat and cauliflower rather than rice to dial back the carbs while keeping all the flavour of your favourite Indian dish.    

The chicken provides a solid dose of bioavailable protein, B vitamins, choline, copper, iron, selenium, and zinc.  

You can throw the cauliflower in a blender to make it feel more like rice (without all the carbs) or have it whole on the side.

The leftovers will make a great lunch the next day or for multiple weekly meals. 

Scorecard

Macros 

One serving provides 460 calories, 60 g of protein, 19 g of fat, and 8 g of net carbs.

Micros  

The Cronometer screengrab below shows the nutrients provided by 2000 calories of this recipe relative to the Optimal Nutrient Intakes.  

Ingredients 

SERVES 6

  • 1 tbsp ghee, coconut oil or butter 
  • 1 onion, finely chopped 
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 4 cm fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli
  • small bunch fresh coriander stalks, finely chopped (save the leaves for garnish)
  • 2 tsp paprika 
  • 2 tsp ground coriander 
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 2cm diced
  • 200 g tomato paste 
  • 250 g plain yoghurt 
  • 2 tsp Himalayan salt 
  • 40 g almond meal 
  • 1 tsp garam masala

Directions 

  • Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F (bake).
  • Use either a large ovenproof frying pan that has a lid or use a casserole pot. 
  • Heat the frying pan to medium heat.
  • Add the ghee and let melt, then add the onion, chilli, garlic, ginger and coriander stalks and cook until onions are soft (5 – 6 minutes).
  • Add all spices except Garma masala, stir until combined and cook for a further 4 minutes.
  • Use the soup attachment to your hand blender to make it into a pulp, or if you don’t have one, transfer the mixture into a blender and blend for a few minutes until sauce-like consistency. Return the sauce to the frying pan.
  • Add tomato paste, yoghurt, salt and almond meal, and gently simmer for 15 minutes.
  • At this point, you could freeze the sauce to use another day.
  • If using today, then add the chicken and the garam masala and stir. Put the lid on the frying pan and place in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes.
  • Serve the curry on roasted cauliflower or caulirice.
  • Sprinkle with fresh coriander or parsley leaves if you wish.

Roast cauliflower 

One serve provides 70 calories, 2 g protein, 5 g fat and 3 g of net carbs

SERVES 4 

  • A head of cauliflower cut into florets
  • The scant amount of olive oil
  • A sprinkle of salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS 

  • Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F (bake).
  • Place cauliflower in a baking tray.
  • Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, stir and bake for a further 15 minutes.

More

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