Lighter Butter Chicken

An Indian restaurant classic made to aid in weight loss

Do you remember the first time you tried a cuisine that was new to you?

You know, the type of food your friend might ask, “You’ve never had [insert exotic food here] before?” It’s a little embarrassing to admit, yet there's this frightful anticipation of venturing into something you don’t know anything about.

About a dozen years ago, that was my relationship with Indian food, and I was completely clueless about what it looked or tasted like. Then, one day a friend of mine insisted we try out one of his favorite Indian buffets. At first, I thought he was setting me up for a prank or something, but I just smiled with a slight hint of skepticism and agreed to go.

When we joined the buffet line, I was completely in awe of how colorful and unique every dish looked. Being accustomed to American-style buffets, I was used to at least 50% of the food having this bland appearance that resembled the diner manager’s special. At this buffet though, I had a hard time not wanting to try a little bit of everything.

My friend got me out of my trance and pointed me toward what we came for. We sat down, I spooned some of that reddish-orange colored gravy over my rice, and dove right in. With that first bite came something akin to enlightenment. I didn’t know food could have so much complexity going on flavor-wise, but it advanced my naive palate to a new level.

From then on, I became a lover of all foods Indian, with butter chicken still being one of my favorites to this day. In a perfect world, I’d eat it multiple times a week, but between all of the oil used in the dish and the absence of my 20-year-old metabolism, it’s simply something I have to limit which isn’t ideal.

So I selfishly made a lower-calorie, high-protein version of the Indian restaurant classic that still has that creamy and nutty taste that makes it so addictive. It’s perfect for meal prepping on Sunday or just a quick weeknight dinner when you need something on the table in 30 minutes. If you’ve never had Indian food before, this is a great entry dish that will surely not disappoint!

Here are some notes about this recipe:

• Marinate the chicken for as long as possible. It will improve the flavor.

• If you can’t find light butter, substitute it with about 2 tsp of ghee.

• The total calories below account for a serving of the curry and one cup of rice.

Let’s dive into the recipe!

46G Protein Per Serving | 489 Calories | 30 Minutes | 8 Servings

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RECIPE

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Ingredient List

Marinated Chicken

• 3 lbs chicken breast, chopped into cubes

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tsp ginger, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp garam masala

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 2 tsp salt

Curry

• 21 oz tomato sauce (one and half 14 oz cans)

• 12 oz half-n-half

• 2 tbsp PB2 powdered peanut butter

• 2 tbsp light butter

• 2 medium onions, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tsp ginger, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp garam masala

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

• Avocado oil spray

For Serving

• 9 cups cooked basmati rice (3 cups uncooked)

• Mini naan bread

• Dried fenugreek leaves

• Freshly chopped cilantro

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Cooking Instructions

Marinate The Chicken 🐔

1. Combine all the ingredients under the marinated chicken list.

2. Refrigerate and marinate for as long as you have time for.

Build Curry 🍛

3. Preheat a pan over medium-high heat with avocado oil spray. Add the chicken and saute for about 5 minutes until it is about 70% done.

4. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the ghee and the chopped onions.

5. Cook until the onions are translucent, then add the rest of the garlic, ginger, and other spices under the curry list. Mix and cook for a few more minutes.

6. Pour in the tomato sauce and half-n-half. Stir everything together well then add the light butter and PB2.

7. Stir once again until the ingredients are mixed in then add the chicken into the curry. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.

8. Serve the curry over a bed of cooked basmati rice. Top with cilantro or fenugreek leaves. Enjoy!

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Don’t forget to check out the archive here for other gourmet high-protein recipes.

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Eat Well,

Marcus Matkins

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