Butter Chicken Soup

This is my entry for the Weekend Cookbook Challenge. It's hosted by $40 a week this time, which also makes a great theme. I haven't been cooking much lately, but I knew immediately which cookbook I needed to dust off.

Ryan gave me Everyday Smart Food for the Family for my birthday last year. Like all the Destitute Gourmet books, it's about really clever food that's affordable. It doesn't have as many pictures as I like, so I don't turn to it often for inspiration. However, every single recipe I've tried has been a winner. This challenge had me trying a few new ones, like veggie samosas - but this soup was the winner. It's spectacularly good, has a very authentic flavour, and is rich without being heavy. I may have been over-generous with the chilli though. Our chilli powder is very hot.

Butter Chicken Soup

Marinade

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 fat cloves of garlic, crushed

Soup

1 large, boneless chicken breast (or equivalent weight of boneless thigh meat) marinated

1 Tbsp butter

1 finely chopped onion

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 Can tomatoes, chopped without losing the juice

3 Cups chicken stock

1/4 C basmati rice

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp plain flour

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup cream

Natural yoghurt and fresh coriander to garnish

Combine the marinade ingredients in a glass bowl. Cut the meat into small pieces or slice thinly and mix into the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

To make the soup, melt the butter in a medium suacepan and add marinated chicken and chopped onion. Stir constantly until chicken is sealed and the onion is soft. Add the dried spices and ginger, then stir in the tomatoes and chicken stock.

When simmering pour in the basmati rice, stir, and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix together the tomato paste and flour and whisk this, a little at a time, into the soup. Add the brown sugar and cream, and season to taste. Serve in soup bowls with a dollop of natural yoghurt and some chopped fresh coriander. Provide torn-up naan bread for dunking.