Bowl Lickin' Indian Butter Chicken

I love Indian cuisine. Love love love LOVE. If I could bathe in curry, I would. Unfortunately, making Indian food at home has not been easy for me. For years, I've read recipes and daydreamed, but never found one that met me where I was at as a cook.

Well, this past week, that all changed as I finally found a recipe that worked. This Indian Butter Chicken is easy to make, comes together quickly and will seduce you with its exotic flavor. It is richly satisfying.

Here's how good it is: My picky toddler? Took the bowl away from her father and ate his entire adult-sized portion. She licked the bowl.

Licked. The. Bowl.

Made her momma proud, oh yes she did.

Note that the recipe does require a bit of an investment in spices, roughly $20 by my calculations. However, if you love Indian food as much as I do, it's worth it.
Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 tbsp. ginger, minced (peel the remaining root and freeze for future use)
  
• 2 jalapeno peppers, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tsps. garam masala
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 cans tomato paste
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup cream
• 4 tbsps. butter
• Fresh cilantro

Optional: Fresh spinach which can be added to the sauce to boost the nutritional value.

Instructions
1.Saute onion, 3 tbsp. ginger and jalapeno pepper until browned.

2.Add in 2 minced garlic cloves, 4 tsps. garam masala, 2 tsp. chili powder, 2 tsp. cardamom, 1 tsp. coriander. Saute for 2 minutes.

3.Add tomato paste and chicken broth, stir to combine.

4.Add in cream and turn burner down to low.

5.In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and 1tbsp butter. When hot, add chicken and saute until brown.

6.Add sauce and remaining 3 tbsp butter and simmer until chicken is done, about 20 minutes. (If using spinach, add it once the chicken is cooked through.)

7. Serve over cauliflower (mashed, rice, etc...) and garnish with fresh cilantro.