← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 650 g chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless), cut into pieces
• 60 g plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp Ginger, finely grated
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ¼ tsp Ground turmeric
• ½ tsp Salt
• 3 tbsp ghee or oil
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 40 g cashews (or blanched almonds)
• 100 g plain yogurt, whisked
• 1 Bay leaves (optional)
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 4 Cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 Green chilli, slit (optional)
• 1½ tsp Ground coriander
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 200 ml hot water
• 3 tbsp Double (heavy) cream (optional)
• 2 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), chopped, to serve

Method

1. Mix the chicken with all the marinade ingredients, cover and chill for 30 min while you make the base.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of the ghee in a wide pan over medium heat. Fry the onions for 10–12 min, stirring often, until evenly golden brown (not dark). Add the cashews for the last 2 min until they colour lightly.
3. Scoop the onions and cashews into a blender, leaving the fat behind. Add the whisked yogurt and a splash of water and blend to a smooth, pale paste.
4. Add the remaining ghee to the pan with the bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and chilli and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and cook over medium-high heat for 5 min, turning, until it is no longer pink outside.
5. Stir in the onion paste and ground coriander. Cook, stirring, for 3–4 min until the paste thickens and smells nutty, then pour in the hot water.
6. Cover and simmer gently for 20–25 min, stirring now and then, until the chicken is tender and cooked through (75°C / 165°F) and the sauce is creamy. Add a splash more water if it gets too thick.
7. Stir in the garam masala and the cream if using, taste for salt and scatter with coriander. Serve with rice or naan.

Tips

• Contains cashews: for a nut-free version, blend in 2 tbsp white poppy seeds or melon seeds instead.
• Brown the onions slowly and evenly; burnt bits make the sauce bitter and grey.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Swasthi's Recipes BBC Good Food Ministry of Curry