Keto Butter Chicken in the Instant Pot

Low Carb Butter Chicken Recipe in the Instant Pot

Indian food is among the most flavorsome in the world and keto butter chicken is a delish example. Despite the healthy twist, the dish promises buttery spices and saucy curry. This flavorful meal makes for a delicious and easy weeknight dinner. Butter chicken is synonymous with masalas. The thick gravy, when eaten with cauliflower rice, makes a satiating dish. If you are a fan of its rich flavors, eating low carb might feel discouraging. The good news is that in my quest for a fair loophole, I finally found an excellent recipe – Instant Pot butter chicken. Despite using these simple ingredients, which are all easy to find at the nearest supermarket, this keto Instant Pot butter chicken turns out creamy and savory. It takes less than 30 minutes to cook this dinner. The curry is not hot but is flavorsome and mildly spicy.

What’s in the Indian Butter Chicken Sauce?

The butter chicken sauce is a creamy mélange of onions, garlic, and ginger. It also uses tomato sauce, coconut milk, and spices such as garam masala, paprika, and coriander. Salt and butter round out the flavor. You can also add (Kashmiri) chili powder for color. If the curry tastes bland, modify the ingredients by adding cumin powder or 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Indian Butter Chicken Spices

The Indian butter chicken curry uses a variety of spices to achieve that finger-licking taste. Most are staples in Indian homestyle cooking. They don’t just add flavor and aroma – they also offer real health benefits. Here’s a list of spices used in this Instant Pot butter chicken.

Garam Masala

Garam Masala is an aromatic blend of ground spices. It typically includes cloves, black pepper, cardamom, cumin, mace or nutmeg covering, coriander, red chili powder, and bay leaves. Other spices used to create this flavorsome blend can include bay leaves, star anise or biryani flower, stone flower, poppy seeds, and turmeric. The presence of these natural spices adds a wealth of health benefits to garam masala. It is known to prevent illnesses like diabetes, cancer, indigestion, and arthritis. The blend also acts as an antioxidant, protects the nervous system, fights oral bacteria, and enhances nutrient absorption.

Coriander

These annual herbs help the butter chicken take on a robust floral aroma. Its mellow flavor gives the curry a warm, nutty, and mildly-citrusy twist with notes of sweetness. Coriander seeds are a source of folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and protein. They boast antibiotic properties and aid diarrhea treatment, regulated blood pressure, reduced skin problems, ulcer treatment, better oral hygiene, and reduced cholesterol levels.

Paprika

Adding paprika powder gives the Indian butter chicken a tempting color without adding much heat to the taste. Paprika is a rich source of Vitamin E, vital for the production of red blood cells. It also has antibacterial properties, the ability to support healthy digestion, prevent hair loss, and reduce risks of a heart attack.

Turmeric

This bright yellow spice comes from the ginger family and is used to add color to the dish. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and liver detoxifier. It also boosts immunity, controls diabetes, heals wounds, kills cancer cells, and aids digestion. Due to its health benefits, it is often used as traditional medicine.

Ginger

The soapy and musty notes of this spice give a warming flavor to the butter chicken. Often used as a folk medicine, ginger helps with cold, flu, inflammation, muscle pain, and severe indigestion. It also prevents cancer, improves brain function, and prevents nausea.

What to Serve with Butter Chicken?

Although the dish is typically accompanied by naan bread or basmati rice, they don’t make a low carb. For a healthy side that still tastes great, serve it with a delicious blend of lime and cilantro cauliflower rice.