A lighter take on classic butter chicken — tender yogurt-marinated chicken breast in a spiced tomato sauce, made creamy with yogurt instead of heavy cream.
Written by
Ecem Akkaba · Dietitian
Dietitian, graduate of İstanbul Medipol University. She develops the recipes and nutrition values on FitZen.
Updated:
Fit Butter Chicken – Lightened Indian Chicken Curry with Yogurt contains 450 calories per serving: 40 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate and 14 g fat. It takes 45 minutes in total and makes 2 servings.
This fit butter chicken swaps heavy cream and excess butter for protein-rich yogurt, keeping all the warm, aromatic spices of the Indian classic. Skinless chicken breast and a light tomato base make it a satisfying high-protein dinner that won't weigh you down.
Combine the chicken with half the yogurt, lemon juice, half the garam masala, the turmeric and cumin, then marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and sear the marinated chicken until browned, then set aside.
In the same pan, sauté the onion until soft and golden.
Add the ginger, garlic, paprika, chili powder and remaining garam masala, and cook until fragrant.
Pour in the tomato puree and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Lower the heat and stir in the remaining yogurt a little at a time to keep it from curdling.
Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes until cooked through, then season with salt.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve over warm brown rice.
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