Zaiqa

This is a guest post by Rubina of All Floured Up. She is a new mum and a big foodie at heart. Her blog is full of delicious recipes to try. Please welcome her! ~ Mona

I’m Rubina from the food blog “All Floured Up” and today I’ve got a delicious and super simple recipe. It’s a slow cooker recipe for butter chicken, and to make it even better, I’ve made this a healthy version.

This butter chicken is creamy, spiced perfectly, and comes together so quickly. I used Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream as a finishing “healthy” touch. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe!

Slow Cooker Healthy Butter Chicken
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken leg meat, cut into 1″ pieces
Chicken marinade: 1 tbsp tandoori masala, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tbsp yogurt.
1 tbsp butter
2 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic, paste (3 large cloves)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, paste (1.5″ piece)
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp tandoori masala
2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
Naan/rice for serving
Cilantro for garnish

Instructions:
1) Marinate the chicken pieces in the chicken marinade (tandoori masala, ginger/garlic paste, and yogurt).
2) In a pan, melt the butter and quickly stir fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes on high heat. It doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through.
3) In a slow cooker, add the tomato sauce, onion, garlic paste, ginger paste, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, garam masala, tandoori masala, and the partially cooked chicken (and any juices left in the pan).
4) Set slow cooker on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Cook until chicken is soft and sauce is bubbling.
5) When chicken is cooked, take the Greek yogurt in a large bowl, beat it so it softens up a little. Add 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce from slow cooker to thin the yogurt a little.
6) Stir the yogurt with the chicken gravy, cook for 10 more minutes in the slow cooker.
7) Serve hot with rice, naan, and of course, garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!
***If you don’t own a slow cooker, simply combine all ingredients and cook on lowest heat setting on stovetop in a pot for 2 hours, until sauce is thickened. Stir every 20 min or so to ensure no burning. Finish up with step 5 from above.

~Rubina

[My friend Wardah from CMW group on facebook and the author of Best of Wardah blog, is here to share with us all her recipe for these amazing Parathas that are nutritious as well as lip-smaking, and therefore great to eat especially during the month of Ramadan! Please welcome her. Thanks Wardah!~Mona]

Mothers are the best cooks, we all know that. This amazing paratha recipe is from my beautiful mom, Farhana. She’s a health nut and that is what is so special about these healthy whole wheat, fiber full parathas. With ingredients like flax seed, wheat germ, and oat bran, you may be put off from this recipe, but I will attest to their delicious flavor and amazing affects on my body! With benefits like being high in fiber, being heart healthy, lowering cholesterol and blood sugar, these parathas are really something else. My family eats one paratha each every day in suhoor, and we love it. We stay full much longer during these long and hot fasts. A pat of butter or ghee on the roti will make it healthy and fattening for your little ones. Hold the ghee for the uncles and aunties though, and it is the perfect accompaniment to any desi meal – delicious, wholesome, and healthy. Enjoy!

Healthy Whole Wheat Parathas
(Thanks to RK Pakistani Collections for compiling the recipe)

Ingredients
1/2 cup Oat Bran (Heart Healthy, Lower Cholesterol, Weight Loss)
1/2 cup Wheat Germ (Good Fiber, Balance Cholesterol & Blood Sugar)
1/2 cup Flaxseed (High Fiber, Omega-3, Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer)
1/2 cup Wheat Bran (High Fiber)
3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 pkg Tofu (Meat Substitute, Lower Bad Cholesterol, Lower Risk of Cancer)
Green Tea (Antioxidants, Weight Loss, Reduced Risk of Cancer)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Salt

Steps:
1- Boil and seep 1 cup of green tea as instructed on package.
2- Add all the ingredients except green tea in Kitchen Aid or Food Processor.
3- Add room temperature green tea gradually until the consistency of dough is reached.
4- Leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
5- Make at least 18-20 parathas.

That’s all!
Wardah