Greek yogurt's acidity mimics traditional tandoor marinade chemistry—creates identical protein breakdown without the 900°F clay oven.
Butter Chicken & Greek Yogurt Naan
A flavorful butter chicken served with homemade Greek yogurt naan.
Prep
30
min
Cook
40
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This dish is the bastard child of 1960s Glasgow when Bangladeshi chef Ali Ahmed Aslam invented chicken tikka masala for queasy Brits who couldn't handle proper curry—he dumped Campbell's tomato soup and cream into leftover tandoori chicken, accidentally creating Britain's most beloved 'Indian' dish that no Indian grandmother would recognize but every pub in Manchester serves religiously.
Regional Twist
In Punjab's Amritsar region, they swap the Greek yogurt for thick buffalo dahi and double the garam masala, then finish with a proper tadka of ghee-fried whole spices.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(7)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (20g)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (8g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (12g)
- 1 tbsp grated ginger (15g)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (30ml)
- 1.5 cups tomato puree (360g)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (150g)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced (680g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(5)
- 2 tbsp light butter (28g)
- 2 tbsp light butter, melted (28g)
- 1 cup low fat milk (240ml)
- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (240g)
- 1.5 cups nonfat Greek yogurt (360g)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice (320g)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30ml)
- 1 cup self-rising flour (120g)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(11)
- 1 tsp black pepper (2g)
- 2 tsp black pepper (4g)
- 1 tsp cayenne or chili powder (3g)
- 2 tsp chili powder (5g)
- 2 tbsp cumin (14g)
- 2 tbsp garam masala (16g)
- 1 tbsp ground cumin (7g)
- 2 tsp kosher salt (8g)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (2g)
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika (14g)
- 2 tsp turmeric (6g)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Marinate the Chicken: Combine chicken, yogurt, lemon juice, garam masala, chili, turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper, ginger and garlic. Mix well and marinate at least 30 min or overnight.
- 2
Cook the Chicken: Heat a large skillet (medium-high) with half the butter and half the oil. Sear chicken until browned (don't overcrowd, work in batches), then set aside.
- 3
Make the Sauce: In same skillet, add remaining butter and oil. Sauté onion with a generous pinch of salt 5 min. Add tomato puree, garam masala, paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook 5 min, allowing spices to bloom and sauce to deepen in color. Lower heat, stir in Greek yogurt and milk until very creamy. Return chicken to sauce, simmer 7–10 min, then stir in cilantro. Taste for salt, heat and acidity—add dashes or pinches as needed for pop and balance.
- 4
Make the Naan: Combine self-rising flour, yogurt and salt to form a sticky dough. Knead briefly, adding a touch more flour if needed, then divide into 4 balls. Roll each flat on lightly floured surface (about 0.5 cm thick).
- 5
Cook the Naan: Cook naan on a hot dry skillet (no oil) on medium-high for 2–3 min per side until puffed, golden and charred in spots.
- 6
Garlic Butter: Mix melted butter with garlic and herbs. Brush over hot naan.
- 7
Plate: Serve butter chicken over rice, sprinkled with extra cilantro and black pepper, naan on the side.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken in yogurt for minimum 2 hours because the lactic acid breaks down proteins while calcium ions tenderize muscle fibers, creating 30% more tender results than shorter marinades.timing2+ hours minimum
- ✓Temper Greek yogurt to room temperature before adding to hot sauce to prevent curdling, as cold dairy proteins coagulate at 140°F when shocked with heat.technique140°F coagulation point
- ✓Toast whole spices for 30-60 seconds in dry pan before grinding to release volatile oils and increase flavor compounds by up to 200%.technique30-60 seconds, 200% flavor increase
- ✓Roll naan to exactly 0.5cm thickness because thinner tears during cooking while thicker won't develop proper steam pockets for the characteristic puff.technique0.5cm thickness
- ✓Cook naan on preheated cast iron at 450°F surface temperature to achieve proper char spots and steam expansion within 2-3 minutes per side.equipment450°F surface temp
Share this recipe
Prep
30
min
Cook
40
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Greek yogurt's acidity mimics traditional tandoor marinade chemistry—creates identical protein breakdown without the 900°F clay oven.
Butter Chicken & Greek Yogurt Naan
A flavorful butter chicken served with homemade Greek yogurt naan.
The Story
This dish is the bastard child of 1960s Glasgow when Bangladeshi chef Ali Ahmed Aslam invented chicken tikka masala for queasy Brits who couldn't handle proper curry—he dumped Campbell's tomato soup and cream into leftover tandoori chicken, accidentally creating Britain's most beloved 'Indian' dish that no Indian grandmother would recognize but every pub in Manchester serves religiously.
Regional Twist
In Punjab's Amritsar region, they swap the Greek yogurt for thick buffalo dahi and double the garam masala, then finish with a proper tadka of ghee-fried whole spices.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(7)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (20g)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (8g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (12g)
- 1 tbsp grated ginger (15g)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (30ml)
- 1.5 cups tomato puree (360g)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (150g)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced (680g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(5)
- 2 tbsp light butter (28g)
- 2 tbsp light butter, melted (28g)
- 1 cup low fat milk (240ml)
- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (240g)
- 1.5 cups nonfat Greek yogurt (360g)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice (320g)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30ml)
- 1 cup self-rising flour (120g)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(11)
- 1 tsp black pepper (2g)
- 2 tsp black pepper (4g)
- 1 tsp cayenne or chili powder (3g)
- 2 tsp chili powder (5g)
- 2 tbsp cumin (14g)
- 2 tbsp garam masala (16g)
- 1 tbsp ground cumin (7g)
- 2 tsp kosher salt (8g)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (2g)
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika (14g)
- 2 tsp turmeric (6g)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Marinate the Chicken: Combine chicken, yogurt, lemon juice, garam masala, chili, turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper, ginger and garlic. Mix well and marinate at least 30 min or overnight.
- 2
Cook the Chicken: Heat a large skillet (medium-high) with half the butter and half the oil. Sear chicken until browned (don't overcrowd, work in batches), then set aside.
- 3
Make the Sauce: In same skillet, add remaining butter and oil. Sauté onion with a generous pinch of salt 5 min. Add tomato puree, garam masala, paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook 5 min, allowing spices to bloom and sauce to deepen in color. Lower heat, stir in Greek yogurt and milk until very creamy. Return chicken to sauce, simmer 7–10 min, then stir in cilantro. Taste for salt, heat and acidity—add dashes or pinches as needed for pop and balance.
- 4
Make the Naan: Combine self-rising flour, yogurt and salt to form a sticky dough. Knead briefly, adding a touch more flour if needed, then divide into 4 balls. Roll each flat on lightly floured surface (about 0.5 cm thick).
- 5
Cook the Naan: Cook naan on a hot dry skillet (no oil) on medium-high for 2–3 min per side until puffed, golden and charred in spots.
- 6
Garlic Butter: Mix melted butter with garlic and herbs. Brush over hot naan.
- 7
Plate: Serve butter chicken over rice, sprinkled with extra cilantro and black pepper, naan on the side.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken in yogurt for minimum 2 hours because the lactic acid breaks down proteins while calcium ions tenderize muscle fibers, creating 30% more tender results than shorter marinades.timing2+ hours minimum
- ✓Temper Greek yogurt to room temperature before adding to hot sauce to prevent curdling, as cold dairy proteins coagulate at 140°F when shocked with heat.technique140°F coagulation point
- ✓Toast whole spices for 30-60 seconds in dry pan before grinding to release volatile oils and increase flavor compounds by up to 200%.technique30-60 seconds, 200% flavor increase
- ✓Roll naan to exactly 0.5cm thickness because thinner tears during cooking while thicker won't develop proper steam pockets for the characteristic puff.technique0.5cm thickness
- ✓Cook naan on preheated cast iron at 450°F surface temperature to achieve proper char spots and steam expansion within 2-3 minutes per side.equipment450°F surface temp