Cashew Butter Chicken
By: Smita Chandra
Published: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - 6:44am

Ingredients




8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into small pieces
4 tbsp oil, divided
Salt to taste
1 tsp each, divided: garam masala, ground coriander, ground cumin, dried fenugreek leaves
½ tsp each, divided: cayenne pepper, turmeric
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves of garlic, finely grated or minced
1/2 inch piece of ginger, finely grated or minced
1 medium cooking onion, finely chopped
4 large canned whole plum tomatoes
2 tbsp plain Greek style yogurt
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment. 2 Place chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp oil, salt, ½ tsp each of the garam masala, ground coriander, ground cumin and dried fenugreek leaves, ¼ tsp each of cayenne and turmeric. Toss well to coat. Spread evenly on baking tray. Bake for 20 min or until chicken is roasted and lightly browned. Drain juices, reserve chicken. 3 Warm remaining 2 tbsp oil in deep skillet over medium high heat. Add cumin seeds, sauté 30 sec. Add garlic, ginger and onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally for about 7-8 min or until onions are softened and lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium, add tomatoes. Stir gently, crushing them into the sauce with the back of your stirring spoon. Add remaining spices and salt. Cook for about 5 min or until tomatoes have thickened slightly. Add yogurt, stirring continuously. Cook 2 min, then add ½ cup water. Mix well, bring contents of skillet to a boil. Add chicken, cook 10 min for flavours to blend. Fold in fresh coriander.

About

If you’ve eaten in an Indian restaurant, chances are you are already familiar with butter chicken. My recipe has cashews added in for that rich nutty flavor that makes all the difference! You can also add a handful of whole cashews to the sauce for some crunch. If you don’t want the cashews, just leave them out of the recipe. The marinated chicken can also be skewered, grilled and served as an appetizer or in a wrap.