This is a great dish to serve on a cold winter’s night. The combination of chicken, cashew nut, and garam masala brings to mind a curry, but I’m not well-versed enough in Indian cuisine to claim it as such. The spices with the nuts are a lovely flavour combo that you will savour long after the meal is over. I like to serve this with steamed basmati rice and some stewed greens.
Serves four (with leftovers)
Ingredients
2 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp garam masala
pinch chili powder
1 tbsp salt
2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless and skinless (about 10-12 pieces)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup cashew nut
½ cup almond milk (or regular skim or homogenized milk will do)
Method
- In a bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili, and salt with the chicken thighs. Cover and marinate for at least four hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- On a baking tray, spread out the cashews. Roast in the oven until golden brown (about 10-15 minutes).
- Reserve 2 tbsp of nuts to use as garnish, and the rest place in a blender with the almond milk. Puree until creamy. Set aside.
- Add the vegetable oil to a large sauce pot over a high heat. When the oil is hot, sear the boneless chicken thighs until brown on both sides. Don't overcrowd the pan, as it could cause the meat to steam, when you want it to brown. Repeat until all the thighs are browned. Reduce the heat to a medium low, and add all of the legs back to the pot. Stir in the pureed cashew. If the cashew is very thick, add more almond milk to the pot until it is slightly saucy. Stir well, cover, and place in the oven to braise for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is almost falling apart.
- Stir in the whole roasted cashew pieces and serve.