Chicken cashew curry

Photographer: Emma
Serves 8

When we decided that we would launch the blog with celebrations as the theme, I knew immediately that I would share this recipe. It is one which reminds me of happy times, of friends and family squeezed around the kitchen table celebrating an achievement, a birthday, or just good company. It is a great recipe to cook when feeding the masses, and when served with Indian staples such as banana raiita, buttery naan bread, poppadums or cumin spiced cauliflower, the experience is all the more authentic.

Amongst family and friends, big Indian meals like this are fondly referred to as Indian Feasts. Often people will muck in, someone taking responsibility for shaping and cooking the naan bread, another for the poppadums, and others for the raiita. Soon the kitchen is filled with good company, the sound of happy voices and the heady scent of Indian spices.

This recipe is uncomplicated and easy to follow and produces a rich, tasty curry full of texture and flavour, made so by the addition of ground cashews and freshly made Garam Masala. Do not be tempted to cut corners by buying Garam Masala from the supermarket. Making your own will result in a curry with much rounder, more complex flavours.

INGREDIENTS


700g chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
3 tbsp oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tbsp freshly grated ginger
3 tbsp curry powder
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1 x 800g tin tomatoes
¼ cup fresh corriander or mint
2 tsp garam masala
1 cup plain unsweetened yoghurt
150g raw cashews, ground

METHOD


1. Heat oil, fry onion, garlic and ginger until soft and golden. Long slow cooking at this stage is the basis of a good curry. I often cook this mixture for 20 minutes or more.
2. Add the curry powder and chilli and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add salt, tomatoes and herbs and mix to combine before adding the chicken. Stir the chicken into the tomato mixture to coat. Simmer covered, on very low heat for about 45mins or until the chicken is cooked through. Scrape the base of the pan from time to time to ensure that the spices do not stick.
4. Stir in the Garam masala and yoghurt and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Last of all, stir in the cashews.