This healthy butter chicken is lower in calories and fats than your regular butter chicken. While it doesn’t taste exactly the same as traditional butter chicken, it’s healthy and still packed with flavours.

There’s no added butter or cream either. Instead, we use pumpkin and yogurt for the creaminess, and it tastes so good.

This alternative recipe is healthier than your traditional butter chicken and still tastes super delicious.

Opting to use chicken breast instead of thighs is a healthier choice. Also, by using fat-free greek yoghurt and no cream or butter, the fat content is significantly reduced and therefore the calories are less. Furthermore, the butter chicken is naturally sweetened by adding pumpkin to the dish.

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Healthy Butter Chicken Recipe

This healthy homemade butter chicken is packed with goodness, using fresh ingredients including butternut pumpkin, fresh herbs, and spices.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword butter chicken, healthy butter chicken, healthy indian, low calorie recipes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 503kcal

Ingredients

• 700 g Chicken breast (cubed)
• 400 g Pumpkin (cubed))
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Onion (finely diced)
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 3 cm Ginger (peeled & grated)
• 2 tsp Garam masala (ground)
• 1 tsp Coriander (ground)
• 1 tsp Paprika (ground)
• 1 tsp Cumin (ground)
• 1 tsp Tumeric (ground)
• 1 tsp Chilli flakes
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 2 cups Chicken stock
• ¼ cup Tomato paste
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1½ tsp Corn flour
• 1 cup Brown long grain rice

Instructions

• Cook 1 cup of rice as per packet instructions.
• To prepare, cut the raw chicken and pumpkin into cubes. Then finely dice the onion, grate the ginger and crush the garlic.
• Heat the oil on medium heat and brown the onion. Once lightly browned and starting to soften, add the garlic and ginger until the onion is cooked through.
• Next, add all of the herbs and spices and lightly toast them for a minute.
• Add the pumpkin, stock, and tomato paste and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover until the pumpkin is tender but firm.
• Once the pumpkin is starting to cook, add the cubed chicken breast until cooked through (approximately 5 to 10 minutes).
• In a bowl, add the yoghurt, corn flour and 50 ml of the curry liquid and stir until it's mixed well together. Slowly stir into the curry chicken until the liquid/ sauce is thickened to your liking.
• Serve with rice, flatbread (such as naan), or enjoy it on its own.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 559mg | Potassium: 1509mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 9026IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 4mg

Swaps & Tips

While we recommend that you use brown rice (for the extra goodness), white rice is still a good choice if you don’t like brown rice. We often add half brown and half white rice to keep the vibrancy and deeper flavour.

For those who want an alternative to flour, almond meal is a great choice. It will still thicken your butter chicken. It will also add flavour to the dish and extra goodness. It’s available at the majority of local supermarkets, including Woolworths and Coles.

If you like a bit of heat in your curry, consider doubling the quantity of chilli flakes. Alternatively, try reducing the amount of chilli flakes that are added for those who don’t like heat.

Trust us that this recipe will taste great and leave you feeling satisfied.

For more healthy recipe ideas, why not try our Vietnamese noodle salad or the delicious seafood risotto recipe?

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