Chicken Coconut Curry

This is a chicken curry that uses cashews as a thickener for a sorta nutty taste. It's spicy thanks to curry and cayenne and has some mild sweetness from tomatoes and coconut milk. And cilantro and ginger give it a sorta fresh taste and should not be skipped; they really make it work. Oh, and be sure to use fresh grated ginger root, not powder.

If you don't normally care for coconut, you can substitute plain yogurt instead but you'll want to add it at the end of the cooking process, not at the beginning.

But the coconut taste is very subtle and does not taste like a beach party. Unless you really hate cocounut I'd recommend giving it a try.

Cooking for 40-60 minutes help soften the chicken even if you use white meat; this works well if you're going to serve it after cooking but if you think you'll be refrigerating it you might want to use dark meat which in my experience stays a bit softer on the reheat.

Ingredients

1. 2 medium onions, chopped
2. 3 cloves of garlic, minced
3. 1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
4. 2.5 lbs chicken cut to bite-sized pieces. I use tenderloin; it cooks long enough to soften white meat.
5. 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
6. 2 teaspoons salt
7. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
8. 3 tablespoons curry powder
9. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
10. 1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
11. 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro + some for garnish
12. 1/2 cup unsalted cashews
13. 1 can (13.5) coconut milk

Instructions

Dice onions, mince garlic, grate ginger, mince cilantro, and cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Melt butter in a 5- to 6-quart pot on medium low, add onions, garlic, and ginger and stir until softened - about 5 minutes. Make sure you use a pot that has a lid.

Add curry powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and stir to cover for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes including juice, cilantro, and coconut milk. Cover and cook on low (simmer) for 40-60 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and tender. Before serving pulse cashews in a food processor until very finely ground and add to sauce to thicken. If you're trying to cut calories other thickeners could be used but cashews are mmm mmm good! Serve over an aromatic rice (jasmine, basmati) and garnish with a bit of cilantro and optionally a small amount of sliced almonds. Don't skip the cilantro; it adds a fresh taste that really complements the dish. You only need a few leaves as seen in the picture below.

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