My healthier veggie loaded butter chicken curry
This is my healthier veggie-loaded butter chicken curry that is packed with flavour and easy to make. It has become one of the most popular recipes on my website.
I’ve been working on this recipe for a while now and I’m very excited to finally share it with you. A year ago I committed to initiating a few changes in my life and I have purposefully gone out to make it a whole lot healthier. I don’t call it a diet, although I work with a clinical dietician who has given me a plan within which I can make better decisions.
I get to make all my own choices within this framework, which is imperative for me given that I love food so much and it’s the cornerstone of my career. If I stick to the plan 100% I lose more weight, if I don’t I lose less. Often I maintain my weight, which for me is also winning.
I have taken the long view and settled into doing it over years rather than months. It is proving to be successful and sustainable which is the most important thing for me. I’m interested in making habit changes that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
There is no quick fix for this, trust me. I’m not going on a diet and then I’ll be off my diet. I’m going to be eating this way for the rest of my life. It’s been an amazing journey so far and I’m feeling so much stronger and more vibrant than I did a year ago. I have also exercised rigorously and regularly for the whole year and I’m feeling happy in my skin again.
This butter chicken recipe is one I eat on a regular rotation in my house and it’s a favourite of mine. It fits perfectly into my plan AND it delivers a dish packed with so much flavour. I never want to compromise on that.
It contains lean protein, is low in fat and I’ve packed as many vegetables into it as I possibly could. The cauliflower and carrots are roasted, adding so much crunch and texture and helping make it economical as well as super delicious. This is my veggie-loaded healthier butter chicken curry.
A quick disclaimer, I absolutely adore a traditional butter chicken and it’s amongst my all-time favourite Indian curries. I love it loaded with coconut cream, making it so unctuous you can see a film of grease on the edges of the sauce. I love to plunge thick shards of buttery naan or roti into it or pile it on a mound of steaming rice.
It is a dish that is laced with calories, so with my recipe, I wanted to try and capture the flavours of the dish but reduce the fat content dramatically. I used yoghurt instead of coconut cream or cream and there are literally 3 tablespoons of olive oil to kick things off.
I use full-fat yoghurt because there is virtually no difference between full-fat dairy and low fat anyway. I find this creamy enough but by all means, use double-fat Greek yoghurt if you prefer. Or if you are not worried about calorie consumption, use coconut cream.
When I’m being super strict I will eat this with cauliflower rice, which I really love, but eat it with whatever you prefer. This curry freezes well and I always stash a few tubs in my freezer for those days when I simply cannot face cooking another meal for one.
Please let me know if you make this dish and tag me on social media @Drizzleanddip. Nothing makes me happier when you do.
PS: I’ve kept this curry quite mild as I am somewhat of a wimp when it comes to spice. I love all the flavour but I can’t deal with too much heat. If you like your curry fiery hot, I suggest adding chilli – fresh or dry to the sauce at the stage where you add the other spices and aromatics.
A few of my other healthier recipes that help make losing weight easier and delicious
Trout/salmon en papillote with fennel & tomatoes
The best ever-whole roasted cauliflower
Calamari salad with loads of flavour
Lettuce and chicken wraps with green goddess Caesar dressing (use low-fat mayo or yoghurt)
Mussels steamed in orange & fennel
Salmon poached in Lapsang Souchong tea with lemon & honey
Ok, here is how you make my healthier, lower-in-fat, butter chicken curry
Healthier veggie loaded butter chicken curry
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower or half a medium head florets removed & cut into bite size
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced
- Olive oil just a few light splashes
- 1 onion or 2 shallots finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tsp finely grated ginger
- 2 Tbs butter chicken curry spice blend I used Cape Herb & Spices
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 tins of chopped peeled tomatoes
- a large handful of green beans about 150gms, stalks cut off and cut into bite size pieces
- 4 skinless boneless free-range chicken breasts (about 600gms), cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ cup full-fat yoghurt or fat-free or Greek plus extra to serve
- 200 gms baby spinach leaves
- A squeeze of lemon juice optional
- a handful of roughly chopped coriander/cilantro
- Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F and spread the cauliflower florets and sliced carrot onto a baking sheet. Lightly coat with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until cooked through and starting to brown around the edges.
- In a large skillet with high sides or Dutch oven, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the onion until its softens and starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger and spices and fry for about a minute.
- Add the 2 tins of tomatoes and season generously with salt. Cook this sauce for about 20 minutes until it starts to thicken.
- Add the beans and chicken and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes and until it is cooked. I normally put a lid on for about half of this cooking time which keeps the moisture in the sauce.
- By this stage, the cauliflower and carrots will have come out of the oven, so add this to the curry and stir through. Let this cook for a few minutes.
- Add the yoghurt and stir through. Add a little extra if you want it creamier.
- Add the spinach and start folding it into the curry. It needs a little help to get it to all fit and wilt into the sauce and putting the lid on help with this.
- Finally, add a squeeze of lemon juice (this is entirely optional and not imperative) and a small handful of roughly chopped coriander. Serve with whatever accompaniment you want with another dollop of yoghurt and a sprig or two of coriander (if you like it as much as I do).
Notes
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Thank you for your recipie I enjoyed it immensely!
I’m loving this recipe! Can’t believe how lovely it tastes already… I”m only half way thru! I added a step, and that is to puree the sauce after it had thickened but before adding the green beans and the chicken. Can’t believe how ‘authentic’ it’s tasting without all of the butter usually used. And pre-roasting the veggies is genius. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for letting me know Brandy, this totally made my day. I am so pleased you are enjoying this recipe. I really wanted to pack as much flavour (and vegetables) in as possible. sam x
Thank you for the recipe! I made it tonight sand it was delicious! My wife and I are trying to make healthier food choices and this definitely helped. Do you happen to have nutritional info that you could add to this post? Thanks again!
where does one get butter chicken curryspice blend. i live in alaska and the options may be slim.
Hi Joan, I’m afraid I don’t know other than perhaps on Amazon? I live in South Africa and its readily available here. Good luck
Hey SAM,
This looks so yummy. Excited to try this recipe 🙂
Thanks Asma – let me know how it goes,
tasty
Hello! Would curry paste be a reasonable substitute for your curry spice blend?
Hi Tanis – Im sure a curry paste would work you would just need to figure out how much to add to the volume of ingredients etc as I have not tested it with it and have no idea.
Hi Sam,
Not only did I bake your granny’s delicious crunchies today, I tried my hand at your veggie-loaded low fat butter chicken. Am patting myself on the back inbetween typing 🙂
Love your food styling, recipes and advice.
Regards,
Amanda
Can’t wait to make it 🙂
That’s amazing. Looks very tasty. I will follow your recipe and i hope my family will love this. Thank you for sharing.
OMG, this is SOOOOOOO GOOD!!!! And a really healthy and delicious way to sneak tons of veggies into my family’s dinner. I used this recipe to make the spice mix: https://theyarn.freerangebutcher.com.au/homemade-butter-chicken-spice-mix/
Served over white sticky rice, with naan, and both my husband and 2 year old declared that I had nailed dinner and cleaned their bowls. Definitely the best Indian food recipe I’ve found in years!
Hi Brittany I’m so glad you liked i t as much as I do and such a delicious way to get soo many vegetables into one dish
I’ve been playing with this as well. Many curry dishes are vegetable and rather than making a separate vegatable dish I’ve been playing with what goes well in butter chicken. The sauce is mostly vegetables (I cooked some mushrooms and cauliflower in with the tomatoes and onions before pureeing) and then added zucchini and larger pieces of cauliflower with the browned chicken for a robust pot full of vegetables, a bit of dairy fat and some chicken – a win win in a keto life. Sure, I put it on some rice but I just watch my ratios. Keep posting, keep playing with tweaks and alternatives!
Going to try this tonight, looks easy and tasty. I Like butter chicken curry!!
Love the additional of veggies to this meal. The roasted carrots and the spinach will improve what I make now. P.S. I add some canned pineapple as well. Nice little sweet spot within the sauce.
I’m so glad you like this recipe Brenda and thanks for the comment
How much is ‘a tin’ of diced tomatoes?
Hi Carolyn – its a standard small 410gm tin. thanks
Thanks, Sam! This was super quick and easy and I had all the ingredients at home already. I replaced chicken with tofu cos I’m veggie, and I added some extra veg that was on its last legs in the fridge and it still worked out beautifully!
Hi Mimi, I’m so glad you liked this recipe and it is wonderful for clearing the fridge. I’m so glad it worked with tofu, I think paneer would also be lovely and I will try that next,
This is a great recipe! I love the addition of the veggies.