Chicken in a Creamy Cashew Sauce
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It was a lazy Saturday. You were binge-watching Food Network. You got all inspired to cook an Indian recipe from scratch. You took one look at the 900 ingredients and thought to yourself, Awww, hell no. But this weekend, it’s time to give Indian cuisine another try, starting with our recipe for chicken in a creamy cashew sauce (a.k.a. chicken korma). Our ingredient list is totally reasonable, and the cooking part doesn’t take much more effort than, say, beef stew. (It’s the mix of spices that gives this dish big flavor, not a complicated process.) We promise you: It’ll be worth it.
Ingredients
Marinade
1 garlic clove
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons garam masala (Indian spice blend available in gourmet and Asian markets)
Juice of 1 lemon
1½ cups Greek yogurt
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ½-inch cubes
Sauce
2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
2 onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
¾ cup raw cashews
¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
To Finish
Steamed rice, for serving
½ cup chopped cilantro, for garnish
Directions
1. Make the Marinade: With the side of a chef’s knife, smash the garlic clove and salt into a paste (see how here). Transfer to a medium bowl, then stir in the garam masala, lemon juice and Greek yogurt.
2. Place the chicken in a 1-gallon ziplock plastic bag, and add the marinade to the bag. Seal, then massage the chicken to coat it with the marinade. Refrigerate while you make the sauce.
3. Make the Sauce: In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until very tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño, and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute more.
4. Add the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper to the onion mixture and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the spices smell toasty, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth, and cook, using the end of the wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes a bit while the mixture comes to a simmer. Add the cashews and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Set aside.
7. Cook the Chicken: In the now-empty pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces to the pan, shaking gently to remove excess marinade, and sauté until golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes.
8. Pour the finished sauce into the pan and add the heavy cream, if using. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, covered, until the chicken is very tender, 20 to 30 minutes more.
9. To serve, spoon the steamed rice onto a plate or into a bowl. Top the rice with a portion of the cooked chicken and sauce. Garnish with the cilantro.
Marinade
253 calories
8g fat
5g carbs
40g protein
3g sugars
Sauce
300 calories
22g fat
22g carbs
8g protein
8g sugars
To Finish
411 calories
1g fat
89g carbs
9g protein
0g sugars
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Note: The information shown is Edamam's estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.