Indian Style Cashew Chicken

This rich, comforting mélange is called Indian_Style to distinguish it from Thai Cashew Chicken, which is a very different dish, although equally delicious. Serve this over brown basmati rice with zesty mango chutney, but other robust fruit chutneys work well, too. Add a green vegetable, such as steamed broccoli, to round out the color palette.

2016-09-22 12:00:15

Serves 6

Ingredients

cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 piece (about 2 inches/5 cm) peeled gingerroot, quartered 1
1 tbsp oil 15 mL
1 tbsp ground cumin 15 mL
1 tsp ground turmeric 5 mL
1 tsp salt 5 mL
1⁄2 tsp cracked black peppercorns 2 mL
1 can (14 to 19 oz/398 to 540 mL) diced tomatoes with juice
3 lbs skinless bone-in chicken thighs (about 12 thighs) 1.5 kg
1⁄2 cup dry roasted cashews or cashew pieces 125 mL
1⁄2 cup coconut milk 125 mL
1 long red chile pepper, optional

Instructions

1. In work bowl fitted with metal blade, pulse onions, garlic and ginger until finely chopped, about 15 times, stopping and scraping down sides of the bowl once or twice.
2. In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion mixture and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add cumin, turmeric, salt and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil.
3. Add chicken to pan, covering with the sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 40 minutes.
4. In work bowl fitted with metal blade, process cashews, coconut milk and chile pepper, if using, until smooth. Add to chicken and stir to combine. Cover and cook, until mixture is hot and bubbling and flavors meld, about 5 minutes.

Notes

Tips
If you're buying cashews in bulk and planning to purée them, buy cashew pieces because they are much less costly. Reduce the quantity by about 1 tbsp (15 mL).
If you don't have a long red chile and would still like a bit of heat in this recipe, blend 1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper, or to taste, with the cashew mixture.
To toast cumin seeds: Place seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a mortar or a spice grinder and grind.

Judith Finlayson https://judithfinlayson.com/