Indian Creamy Cashew Chicken With Saffron Food

CREAMY CASHEW BUTTER CHICKEN

Creamy Cashew Butter Chicken image

This delicious Cashew Butter Chicken is as good as it gets. By using cashews instead of cream, this recipe is as rich and creamy as any restaurant-style butter chicken, but it's so much healthier for you.

Provided by Kristen Stevens

Categories Dinner

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 ½ cups raw cashews (see notes)
2 tablespoons oil (divided)
1 lb. chicken thighs or breasts
1 medium onion (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 inch piece of ginger (peeled and chopped)
28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar (omit for Whole30)
Sea salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ to 1 teaspoon chili powder
Seeds from 4 cardamom pods

Steps:

Place the cashews and 1 ½ cups of water into your blender or food processor and blend on high until completely smooth. Pour into a bowl and set it aside. Don't clean your blender yet - you'll need it again.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total. You don't need to cook the chicken all the way through. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
While the chicken is browning, start cooking the curry. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the pan and cook until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and let it cook for 5 minutes more. Add all the spices to a small bowl while the onions are cooking.
Add the spices to the onions and let them cook for a minute, stirring the whole time. Pour the tomatoes into the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan. Carefully transfer to your blender and blend on high until smooth.
Pour the curry back into the pan, add the blended cashews, the chopped chicken, ½ cup of water, and (if using) the brown sugar. Bring the curry to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories 573 kcal, Carbohydrate 40 g, Protein 37 g, Fat 32 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 73 mg, Sodium 417 mg, Fiber 7 g, Sugar 17 g, UnsaturatedFat 24 g

CREAMY CASHEW CHICKEN CURRY

Creamy Cashew Chicken Curry image

Mooove over, real cream - this curry is made rich and creamy with (cow-free) cashew cream, which is remarkably similar to heavy cream in appearance, taste, and in-sauce behavior. In fact, cashew cream actually thickens up faster. You won't need anything too exotic, besides maybe garam masala, to make this straightforward recipe. Garnish with whole cashews, lime wedges, and cilantro. Serve with rice, garlic naan, or both!

Provided by Chef John

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian Indian

Time 4h50m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups cold water
¾ cup whole roasted cashews
⅓ cup sliced green onions
⅓ cup freshly chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced

Steps:

Mix salt, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, turmeric, and garam masala together in a small bowl.
Cut a chicken thigh in half lengthwise along the crease. Halve the thicker portion to end up with three 2-inch pieces. Repeat with remaining chicken thighs.
Transfer chicken to a bowl. Add oil and about 1/2 of the spice blend; mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 4 to 12 hours.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large pan over high heat until melted and golden brown. Add the chicken in a single layer. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Return chicken and accumulated juices to the bowl.
Heat remaining butter in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, remaining spice blend, tomato paste, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices.
Combine water and cashews in a blender; blend on high speed until very smooth. Stir cashew cream into the pan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until flavors blend, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in green onions and cilantro; taste for seasoning. Squeeze in lime juice.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 287.4 calories, Carbohydrate 9.4 g, Cholesterol 76.8 mg, Fat 18.5 g, Fiber 1.9 g, Protein 22 g, SaturatedFat 5.4 g, Sodium 823.9 mg, Sugar 2.2 g