Okay guys.  I hope you’re ready for this one.  As I’ve mentioned before, Indian food is a big hit in my house and my husband is always asking me to make it.  If you’ve never had Indian food, butter chicken might be a good place for you to start.  It has a much more mild taste and it’s a good introduction to Indian-style food.  It’s always good to pair with some rice to mop up that delicious sauce.

I’ll start off with the Butter Chicken recipe, but if you’re here for the Gluten Free Naan, scroll down to the next recipe.

Butter Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

for the chicken:

• 2+ lbs skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon salt

for the sauce:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• salt to taste
• 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 small containers yogurt or 3/4 cup almond milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• chopped cilantro (optional, but I’d definitely recommend)

Directions:

• In a large bag or container, combine the lemon juice, garlic, garam masala, salt and mix.  Then add the chicken and coat the chicken in the marinade.  Cover and let sit in the fridge overnight, but if you forgot (like I often do) I would let it sit for at least 2 hours minimum.
• The next day when you’re ready to cook dinner, start the sauce.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a medium pot, then add the onions and cook until golden, about 20 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add in the spices: garam masala, paprika, cinnamon, salt.  Cook about 1 minute more.  Add the tomatoes and cook until warm.  Turn off the heat and blend the sauce with an immersion blender or very carefully transferring to a blender.  You can skip this step, but I wouldn’t recommend that.  Once blended, transfer back to the pot and stir in the yogurt and butter until melted.
• While you’re cooking that sauce, grill the chicken.  I would definitely recommend doing this on the grill- you can skip chopping up the chicken as most recipes recommend so it’s much easier for you to throw on the grill.  If you do want to chop them up, then I recommend skewering them and still grilling.  If you don’t have access to a grill, add the chicken into the sauce before you add the butter and cook for about 12 minutes- you’ll definitely need to chop it up for it to cook through.
• Layer your rice, chicken and sauce on a plate and sprinkle with cilantro.  Enjoy!

Naan is extremely easy.  I would definitely recommend making up a batch before you start your sauce and then throwing it in the oven to keep it warm.

Gluten Free Naan

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1 cup coconut milk
• salt
• any other spices you desire- garlic, cilantro, etc.

Directions:

• Combine ingredients.  If you have a stand mixer, I would definitely use that to make sure everything is mixed together thoroughly.  Me and my husband usually add garlic to make “garlic naan.”
• Heat a pan over medium heat.  Grease as necessary- we like to use coconut oil.  Pour batter into the pan until your desired thickness- this part is a bit of experimentation.  You want it thicker than a crepe, but not as thick as a pancake.  If you mess up, that’s okay because it will still taste great.  Allow the one side to brown/blacken a bit before flipping it over and allow the same to happen on the other side.
• And that’s it!  Super simple, right?  Your friends who are gluten free will be so grateful for this amazing treat!!