Dr. Alexa Rauscher, Naturopathic Doctor

Have you ever craved butter chicken but don’t indulge that craving due to the unwelcomed after effects?  With this healthy version of butter chicken, you no longer have to fight that craving.

Now, I am sure a lot of you are reading this recipe and asking yourself “how do you make a dairy free butter chicken?”  Well, it is really quite simple.  With the use of the multi-talented coconut, anyone can cook up this dish without any unpleasant and undesired symptoms.

Here is the fabulous, craving indulgent recipe (my mouth is watering as I think about it):

Serving Size: 4-6

Preparation and Cooking Time: 50 min

Ingredients

• 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts- cut into bite sized pieces
• 5 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ tsp Ground Coriander
• ¼ tsp Cumin
• ¼ tsp Cardamom or Cinnamon
• 1 Whole Lime, juiced
• 1 Whole Onion, diced
• ¼ Cup Coconut Oil
• 1 6oz Jar of Tomato Paste
• 6 oz Water
• 2-3 Diced fresh tomatoes
• ½ can Coconut Milk
• 1 Bunch of Cilantro, chopped

Combine the first nine ingredients and marinate the chicken (overnight if desired). Sauté the onion in the coconut oil until the onions are soft and translucent.  Add the chicken and cook about 10 minutes.  While the chicken is cooking, prep the tomatoes and wash the cilantro.  Add the tomato paste to the mixture and cook for 2 minutes.  Next add the water and diced tomatoes.  Cook for 20 minutes over low-medium heat with the lid on.  Add the coconut milk for the last 10 minutes of cooking.  Add the cilantro in at the end.  Serve over brown rice 

*Combine the cayenne pepper, ground coriander, cumin, and cardamom/ cinnamon and place onto a fry pan under medium heat for 15 seconds to allow the spices to toast thus increasing the flavour of the spices.

This gluten free, dairy free butter chicken is one that is going into my staples.  It was so delicious that I went back for seconds (and thirds as I cleaned up).  But make sure to keep some for leftovers, as it tasted even better the next day. 

A little Tidbit about…

Onions and Garlic: Are both beneficial antimicrobial vegetables, helping to support your immune system.  In addition, both have demonstrated to lower blood pressure, triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.  Finally, both garlic and onions contain sulfur phytonutrients, which are anti-inflammatory in the body.

Cilantro: Cilantro supports the liver and the production of bile to metabolize fats, thus acting an effective carminative and digestive aid.  It provides powerful antioxidant protection due to its exceptional phytonutrient content.