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Coconut Cashew Chicken Curry




I adore this coconut cashew chicken curry. It is rich, has incredible depth of flavor, lots of texture from the melt in your mouth chicken, plump raisins and crunchy cashews, and yet I comes together in a snap. If you need it to come together even faster, you can skin, debone and cut your chicken thighs into 1 inch cubes. The chicken will cook faster that way; I would reduce the chicken stock a little so that the sauce still thickens nicely. I do highly recommend using chicken thighs for this recipe since they are inexpensive and flavorful, but chicken breasts also work. 
You can substitute butter and olive oil for the ghee, but do try to purchase or make some if you can. Ghee is clarified butter (butter that is melted and skimmed of milk solids, leaving only the fat) and I find that it has an almost flowery taste and smell. It adds a lovely depth of flavor to the dish. You can omit the raisins if you hate them, but please do try the dish with them at least once. The burst of sweetness is so delicious alongside the spices of the dish. I like to serve this over floral jasmine rice, but nutty basmati works as well. I prefer parsley as my garnish, but if you are a cilantro fan, you may use that. 
This meal is incredibly satisfying; if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, they reheat beautifully. Try this out as a weeknight meal to change up your routine, or add some naan bread, a lassi, and have a special weekend meal. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
6 chicken thighs, skin on
1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
3 sweet onions, cut into half moons
2 ½ tablespoons curry powder
3 tablespoons garam masala
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 large clove of garlic minced
½ cup plain greek yogurt
1 14 ounce can of full fat or light coconut milk
½ cup low sodium chicken stock
½ cup of golden raisins
½ to ¾ cup roasted cashews
Jasmine rice, to serve
Parsley, for garnish

Method:
In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, add the ghee. Salt and pepper the chicken thighs. Put the chicken in the pan, skin side down. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crispy and no longer sticks to the pan. Flip and sear for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Add the onions and more ghee if needed. Add a little salt and pepper, and saute them until translucent. Add the curry, red pepper flakes, garlic and garam masala, and toast the spices for a minute. Return the chicken to the pan, and add the yogurt, coconut milk and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is falling apart tender and the sauce is thickened. Add the raisins and allow then to sit for 5 minutes in the sauce to plump up. Serve over jasmine rice, and sprinkle with cashews and parsley. Enjoy!

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