Lower Calorie Butter Chicken

Marinated Chicken

Curry Gravy

For Serving

Pantry swaps

Method

1. Marinate the chicken. Cube the chicken breast into roughly 1-inch pieces. Add chili powder, ground cumin, garam masala, salt, garlic, ginger, lime juice, and yogurt. Mix to combine, spread the marinade around, and set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Sear the chicken. Set a cast iron or nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pieces until they have nice brown edges and are just cooked through. Remove the chicken to a bowl and set aside (it finishes cooking in the gravy).

3. Start the gravy. Set a fresh pan over medium heat. Apply a light amount of baking spray, add the onions, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, a small pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of turmeric. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors come together.

4. Blend and strain. Add about a cup of water to thin the sauce enough to blend. Pour the hot sauce into a food processor and pulse until completely smooth. Pour it back into the pan through a metal strainer to remove the skins and seeds.

5. Finish the sauce. Turn the heat to medium. Add the butter, evaporated milk, and cooked chicken. Stir and let it simmer until it thickens to your liking, about 6-10 minutes.

6. Finish and serve. Toast the fenugreek leaves lightly in the pan, then crush them between your hands over the sauce. Turn off the heat, taste, and adjust with salt, sugar, spices, or a touch more butter for texture. Serve with rice or naan and garnish with cilantro.

Notes

Servings: 4 (per 280 g serving). Per serving: 448 kcal, 55 g protein, 27 g carbs, 18 g fat, ~2 g fiber (estimated). Macros are from the source video’s stated per-serving breakdown for the lower-calorie version; fiber estimated from tomato, onion, and peanut butter content.

The restaurant-style version of the same dish comes in at 834 kcal, 38 g protein, 27 g carbs, 64 g fat per 280 g serving. The four substitutions: low-fat evaporated milk for heavy cream (-56 kcal), 15 g peanut butter for 50 g whole cashews (-97 kcal), far less cooking fat (-160 kcal), and chicken breast for thighs (-73 kcal). A cup of cooked rice (250 g) adds 205 kcal to either version.

All quantities are exact from the narrated video and confirmed by the author’s recipe page linked in the video description. The yogurt marinade plus a well-seasoned pan does the browning work, so no oil is needed for the chicken. Do not skip straining the sauce or the fenugreek leaves – those are what give it the restaurant velvet and aroma.