This recipe was an experiment for a party I was hosting. I was fed up of cooking the same masala chicken, so decided to zest up things a bit. I made the traditional butter chicken sauce, but decided to add home made (chicken) meatballs to it instead of the regular chicken tikka. The result was this yummy, creamy and totally satisfying curry. Takes a while to prepare, but can be frozen in batches for up to two weeks- so you don’t have to sweat over and over to enjoy the delish treat. Just take out a batch at a time, defrost and enjoy!
PrintButter Chicken Meatballs
- Total Time: 26 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
A creamy and satisfying twist on traditional Indian Butter Chicken, featuring homemade chicken meatballs in a rich, spiced tomato sauce.
Ingredients
For the chicken meatballs
- 2 lbs minced chicken
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 tablespoons thick yogurt (greek works best)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic ginger paste
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh coriander
- Salt to taste
For the sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic ginger paste
- 4 fresh green chilies, slit
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 4 green cardamoms
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 4 cloves
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 teaspoon methi/fenugreek seeds
- 340 gm tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- 10 almonds, blanched, peeled and made into a paste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ pint heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine minced chicken, red chili powder, yogurt, garam masala, and ground coriander powder. Mix well and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- Oil your hands and shape the marinated chicken mixture into 25-30 small meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs in batches and cook until browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the chopped onion and sauté until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato puree, turmeric powder, cumin powder, and salt. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the oil starts to separate.
- Add the fenugreek leaves and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the meatballs back into the sauce and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the flavors have melded.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.
Notes
This dish can be prepared in advance and frozen in batches for up to two weeks. Simply defrost and reheat when ready to serve. For a spicier version, increase the amount of red chili powder. Serve with naan or rice for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 25
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 100
Wow, can’t wait to make this! Nice spin on my favorite butter chicken recipe. Yum!