Indian Cashew Chicken

I started making this...I made the sauce and the rice to go with the dish. The sauce is REALLY thick and I ended up putting somewhere between 1/4 to 1/2C of water in it to make the blender move. I didn't let the sauce rest in the fridge overnight.
D made the rest of the dish, because I got overwhelmed. He only used thighs. He used cardamon, not cardomon pods, because we couldn't find it.

It was really good.

Indian Cashew Chicken

Photo by ALB

A take on the Indian dish murgh makhani, this entrée recipe varies but typically has a thick sauce punctuated with Indian spices. To mimic the full-bodied sauce, we caramelize onions and later simmer the mixture to a thick, marinara-like consistency. Serve over brown basmati rice or with naan flatbread.

2/3 cup cashews, toasted
2/3 cup fat-free Greek-style yogurt
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 14 ounces)
2 (8-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
Cooking spray
2 3/4 cups finely chopped onion (2 large)
2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup organic tomato puree (such as Muir Glen Organic)
1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons half-and-half
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Combine nut mixture and chicken in a large bowl; cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, cardamom, and cinnamon stick to pan; cover and cook 10 minutes or until onion is golden, stirring often.
3. Add chicken mixture to pan; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in broth, tomato puree, paprika, and salt, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 hour or until thick. Stir in half-and-half; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Discard cinnamon stick. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

CALORIES 340 (36% from fat); FAT 13.6g (sat 3.4g,mono 5.8g,poly 2.6g); IRON 3.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 91mg; CALCIUM 83mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.7g; SODIUM 435mg; PROTEIN 36.7g; FIBER 3.8g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008