Chicken Korma (creamy cashew sauce)

By KDHarmon

Ingredients

• Marinade:
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons garam masala (Indian spice blend available in gourmet and Asian markets)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1-1/2 cups Greek yogurt
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-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
• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
• To Finish:
• Steamed rice, for serving
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

Details

Cooking time 90mins
Adapted from purewow.com

Preparation

Step 1

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.


Makes 6 servings.