Spicy Indian-Inspired Butter Pheasant
Enjoy the flavors of butter chicken with a twist thanks to this juicy marinated butter pheasant recipe featuring tender pheasant and a spicy, creamy sauce!
Servings: 4
Calories: 1129kcal
Equipment
- large saute pan
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lb pheasant breasts and legs, cut into bite-size chunks (about 1 ½ whole pheasants)
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 4 teaspoon garam masala, divided
- 1 onion, grated
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoon salted butter, divided
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 can coconut milk
- ¾ cup half and half
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice, for serving
- warm naan, for serving
Instructions
- Combine yogurt, lemon juice, and 2 teaspoon garam masala in a medium bowl. Add in pheasant pieces and toss to combine. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in 1 tablespoon butter. Add pheasant to pan, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan. Cook until starting to brown, about 5-10 minutes. It's ok if it doesn't get cooked all the way through, it will finish cooking in the sauce. Remove pheasant to a plate.
- Add in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add in onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add in tomato paste, remaining 2 teaspoon of garam masala, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in coconut milk and cream. Stir until tomato paste dissolves in the liquid. Add pheasant back in. Bring to a simmer and cook until pheasant is done and sauce is slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
- Serve over warm jasmine rice and top with fresh cilantro. There will be extra sauce but it's perfect for dipping warm naan in.
Notes
- Marinating the pheasant meat overnight in yogurt helps retain the moisture in the meat and helps tenderize it.
- You can substitute just legs or just breasts or use other game bird meat for this recipe.
- Garam masala can vary widely in flavor and spiciness depending on the blend you use. Make sure you know what your blend tastes like before trying this recipe. If your garam masala blend is already spicy, you may want to cut back on the cayenne.
Nutrition
Calories: 1129kcal | Carbohydrates: 111g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 1166mg | Potassium: 974mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1073IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 246mg | Iron: 6mg
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