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Butter Chicken and Cauliflower
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5 from 3 votes

Butter Chicken and Cauliflower

This Indian-inspired butter chicken and cauliflower recipe is easy to make with a richly-spiced curry sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: chicken
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Author: Ali

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter divided
  • 1 small white onion diced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons grated or minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon each: chili powder ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric
  • 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 1/2 pounds cauliflower florets cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  • for serving: basmati rice naan, fresh cilantro and extra lemon wedges

Instructions

  • Sauté veggies and spices. Melt one tablespoon butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garam masala, chili powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Blend the sauce. Add the diced tomatoes and water and stir to combine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Use an immersion blender (or see note below if you prefer to use a traditional blender) to purée the sauce until smooth. Continue cooking the sauce until it reaches a simmer.
  • Simmer. Stir the cauliflower into the sauce and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a low simmer. Stir the chicken into the sauce and continue to simmer, uncovered, for 10 more minutes or until the chicken and cauliflower are cooked through and tender.
  • Season. Stir in the spinach, heavy cream (or coconut milk), lemon juice and remaining two tablespoons butter until combined. Taste and season with salt (I used about 1 teaspoon), black pepper, and/or extra lemon juice if needed.
  • Serve. Serve immediately over rice with naan, garnished with lots of fresh cilantro and extra lemon wedges. Enjoy!