Who doesn’t love butter chicken?

This dish, native to India is a staple restaurant order. It was one (of many dishes) that I loved, but avoided entirely back when I believed that food restriction was the only answer to healing my acne.

Firstly…butter? meat? fat!? absolutely not. I thought these foods when it came to preparing a meal were a big no-go. Fat makes your skin greasy and animal products would increase inflammation and cause further breakouts.

I was wrong. Very wrong.

We know that healthy fats are great for supporting hormonal health and promoting plump glowy skin, shiny hair and strong nails. The nutrients we obtain from animal foods are also great for gut healing and ensuring that you get enough protein in your diet is crucial for blood sugar regulation – a key pillar to start the skin healing process.

Whilst wholegrain rice is a good choice for this dish, I like to swap my side for either home made dahl or a few air-fryer sweet potato cubes. Whilst the sweet potato addition is far from traditional, my goodness it’s good!

I have omitted cream in this recipe for coconut cream to reduce the lactose content. Whilst going dairy-free is a generally good choice to support skin health, keep eating grass-fed butter. It has a favourable fatty acid profile and if you’ve never heard of ‘butter skin’ before, Google it and thank me later!

So. Give this recipe a go. You won’t regret it, and if you do let me know how you found it…

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

Marinade:

• 170g coconut yoghurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1kg chicken thigh, on the bone (skin off)

Curry sauce:

• 20g grass-fed butter
• 150g tomato puree
• 1 x 160ml tin coconut cream

Garnish/Serve with:

• Wholegrain rice or air fried sweet potato chunks
• Coriander
• Dahl (yummm)

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients and coat the chicken in the marinade. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a minimum of two hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 160c.

Add the curry sauce ingredients to a baking tray and combine. Add the marinated chicken and combine. The sauce will be a light pinkish colour, don’t let that put you off! After approx. 20 minutes in the oven the sauce will start to darken and thicken. Baste the chicken with the sauce and place back into the oven for a further 30 minutes.

Cook rice or side dish as per packet instructions.

Serve with a generous sprinkling of coriander. Enjoy!