Butter chicken is a creamy, rich and flavorful Indian dish that is incredibly popular all over the world With its smooth, tomatoey sauce and tender chicken pieces, it’s easy to see why it’s so beloved However, figuring out what to serve alongside butter chicken can be tricky. You’ll want sides that complement the flavors without overpowering the star of the show.
Here are 12 delicious side dish ideas to serve with butter chicken:
1. Naan Bread
Indian curry dishes always go well with naan bread, and butter chicken is no different. Sopping up every last bit of the rich sauce is easy with the soft, chewy naan. When you want something different, try garlic naan or Peshwari naan with coconut and raisins. Plain naan is always a good choice.
2. Basmati Rice
Fluffy basmati rice provides the perfect blank canvas for the flavorful curry. For an extra flavor punch jazz it up with spices herbs and aromatic ingredients like cumin, bay leaves or cloves. Lemon rice, coconut rice and jeera rice (cumin rice) are all excellent options.
3. Raita
Cooling raita, a yogurt-based side dish, balances out the richness of butter chicken. Cucumber raita with mint and cumin is a refreshing, palate-cleansing accompaniment. Other vegetables like beets or spinach can also be used. Add some spice with onions, chilies or cumin.
4. Salad
A simple green salad with a lemony dressing provides freshness and cuts through the heaviness of butter chicken. For more texture and nutrition, add veggies like cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, shredded carrots or cucumbers. Top with crunchy nuts or roasted chickpeas.
5. Samosas
Samosas, whether sweet or savory, are great as starters or as sides for butter chicken. You could fill samosas with spinach, lentils, ground lamb, or spiced potatoes. Serve with tangy tamarind, mint or cilantro chutney for dipping.
6. Dal
Dal, a lentil stew or soup, adds protein and fiber. Creamy, velvety dal makhani is especially good with the rich butter chicken. For variation, try different types of lentils like red lentils, brown lentils, or black lentils.
7. Roasted Vegetables
Roasted cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, or other veggies caramelize beautifully in the oven. They pair nicely with creamy curries. Toss the vegetables with Indian spices like garam masala before roasting.
8. Chutneys
Chutneys are flavorful Indian condiments that can be made from many ingredients like fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. They add brightness through sweet, sour and spicy flavors. Try mango chutney, cilantro mint chutney or tamarind date chutney.
9. Indian Breads
Try Indian breads other than naan, such as puri, paratha, roti, or bhatura. Bread pakora (bread fritters) are also delicious. Dip the breads directly into the butter chicken sauce.
10. Papadums
These crisp, wafer-like lentil crackers add a satisfying crunch. You can buy them plain or flavored. Serve alongside the curry or crumble them on top for extra texture.
11. Palak Paneer
Palak paneer, a spinach and cheese curry, is a nice complement to butter chicken. The earthiness of the spinach and the mild flavor of the cheese temper the richness. Use tofu instead of paneer for a vegan option.
12. Kheer
Kheer is a creamy rice pudding that is flavored with cardamom, raisins, saffron, and nuts. It is a sweet way to end your Indian meal. It’s the perfect desert after an intense, savory curry meal.
With so many diverse flavors, textures, colors and aromas, Indian food is meant to be experienced with all your senses. While butter chicken may be the star, don’t underestimate the power of the supporting side dishes to make your meal memorable. So try out these tasty options and transform your basic curry night into an exciting Indian feast. What are you waiting for? The aromatic spices are calling!
Step by Step Photo Instructions
1. To a mixing bowl, add
- ½ kg chicken (1. 2 lbs. skinless, bone-in preferred but boneless is okay).
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt (or coconut milk)
- 1 tablespoon ginger & garlic paste or ½ tbsps. each grated (We rub turmeric on the chicken and then wash it off before cooking). Hence the yellow color here. ).
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (or paprika)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon salt
3. Mix well to coat the chicken with the spices. Cover and keep aside until needed or refrigerate overnight if you want.
Make Korma Curry/ Gravy
4. While the chicken marinates, go ahead with the recipe. Heat 1½ tablespoon oil or ghee in a pan. Add 2 to 3 cardamom pods. I used a bit more here as we like the flavor.
5. Add 1 cup sliced yellow onions (2 medium yellow onions). Avoid using large red onions. Saute them stirring often until golden brown & caramelized, for about 10 to 12 mins.
6. This is how the onions look – golden brown & caramelized. Do not burn. Turn off the stove. Add 10 whole cashew nuts or almonds or a mix of both. If you do not have a powerful blender, you may soak the nuts in half cup hot water for 30 mins, drain before using here. Cool this completely.
7. Add the onions and nuts to a grinder/ blender jar. Pour ¼ cup yogurt or coconut milk.
8. Blend to a smooth puree. If you do not have a powerful blender, you may pour half cup water and blend. (remember to omit adding water later for the gravy).
9. Pour 1 to 2 tablespoon oil to the same pan and spread the oil. Add the following whole spices (or leave them out if you don’t have them). Keep in mind that it’s hard to find or take out the whole spices after the dish is made, so if you don’t want to eat them, just leave them out.
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cloves
- 1 cardamom
- 2 inch cinnamon. I used Ceylon cinnamon so used more. If you use cassia, just use a thin 2-inch strip. Let the spices sizzle in the oil for a minute.
10. Add marinated chicken and slit green chili (optional).
11. Saute on a medium heat until the raw smell of ginger garlic is gone. This takes about 5 to 7 mins.
12. Add the onion paste. Pour ½ cup hot water.
13. Add ¼ teaspoon salt.
14. Add ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala and 1½ teaspoon coriander powder. You can also add little chili powder if you prefer red color korma.
15. Mix well and increase the heat to bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover & cook on a medium heat until the chicken is tender and fully cooked through.
16. You will see traces of oil over the korma when it is done. Taste test and adjust salt or garam masala to preference. If the korma is too thick, add some hot water to bring it to consistency. If you want you may also finish this with half tsp or rose or kewra water and a generous pinch of nutmeg. I only add these to my mutton korma. Garnish with 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro/coriander leaves.
Serve chicken korma with rice, jeera rice, roti, naan or paratha.
Onions: Traditionally onions are deep fried until deep golden to light brown. After the meat is partly cooked, these crispy onions are ground up into a coarse powder and cooked with the other ingredients.
I showed you how to make pan-fried brown onions in this post. If you want to make deep-fried crispy onions, see this post. Deep fried onions impart a much deeper flavor and a slightly coarse texture to the chicken korma. Alternately you may also use your favorite brand of store bought fried onions.
Nuts: You can use only almonds or only cashews or a mix of both. Alternately you may use almond meal/ flour for convenience. To make the dish nut-free, you may use thick coconut milk.
Yogurt/ Curd: This recipe uses yogurt in the marinade and also in the korma. You can use store bought or homemade yogurt but make sure you don’t use very sour yogurt as it can make your dish too tart. To make this dish dairy free, you may use thick coconut milk.
Spices: A traditional Korma uses a long list of ground and whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, nutmeg, mace, coriander, black cardamoms and black pepper. However I have reduced them to the minimum making sure to retain the best flavors.
Chicken: Usually korma is made with bone-in meat as it makes the best and flavorful dish. I use whole chicken that’s pre-cut (known as curry cut). You can also use boneless chicken or chicken thighs. Avoid using breasts as they can easily dry out if overcooked.
Kewda or Rose Water: Kewda or rose water are artificial flavoring ingredients used in a lot of Korma recipes before finishing. These impart a floral scent (perfume) to the dish. At home, we personally don’t prefer. But if you have, you may use a few drops.
- Bone-in chicken works best for this recipe because the bones’ juices make the korma and gravy taste great.
- Marinating the chicken is optional. It is just done to tenderize the meat. If you’d rather skip this step, just put the chicken in the pan with the rest of the marinade recipes.
- A korma curry is creamy because it has yogurt and nut paste in it. Korma recipes from the past don’t use any kind of starch to make the curry thicker.
- The fried onion paste gives off the smell; make sure the onions are cooked all the way through.
- If you can’t eat nuts, just leave them out of the recipe and use coconut milk or more yogurt instead.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
The BEST butter chicken in 20 MINUTES #Shorts
FAQ
What is a good side dish for butter chicken?
Naan bread and rice are both popular side dishes that pair well with Butter Chicken. Naan bread is great for soaking up the rich sauce, while rice helps to balance out the flavors.
What is butter chicken traditionally eaten with?
The best things to eat with butter chicken are plain fluffy basmati rice, Tandoori Roti, Naan, or Paratha.
What to have with butter chicken other than rice?
You could even served butter chicken with cottage fries, onion rings, or bhajis. Whatever your preference, there is a side dish that can take your meal to the next level, whether you like rice, Naan bread, vegetables, lentils, or chickpeas.