from Epicurious.com (out of 488 reviewers, 93% would make it again! A definite keeper)
This dish tastes complicated, but it is so easy. And, you can make it several days ahead! I’ve made it so many times, and it holds up nicely to little changes and adjustments (see my notes). This last time I made it, I actually marinated the chicken in yogurt for 2 days because I wanted to see if it would make the chicken more tender, which it did. I normally wouldn’t have done that, but I had defrosted the chicken and knew I wasn’t going to be able to make the dish for two days.
The dish definitely has some heat, but the yogurt really mellows it out and provides a nice contrast. If you don’t like cashews, try adding peanuts so it still has a crunch. Add some steamed broccoli on the side for a balanced meal.
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped (2 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger (I used about a tsp of ground ginger since I didn’t have fresh)
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (this definitely gives it a noticeable heat –use less if you’re sensitive too spice)
1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces (I use 7-9 boneless skinless chicken thighs)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I only had an 1/8 cup so I threw in a 1/2 tsp of coriander)
3/4 cup cashews (1/4 pound)
3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used low fat and it was great)
Accompaniment: cooked basmati or jasmine rice
Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro
Heat butter in a 5- to 6-quart wide heavy pot over moderately low heat until foam subsides, then cook onions, garlic, and ginger, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
Add chicken and cook, stirring to coat, 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, including juice, and cilantro and bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. (If making ahead, see cooks' note, below.)
Just before serving:
Pulse cashews in a food processor or electric coffee/spice grinder until very finely ground (you could skip this and just add the cashews whole or slightly chopped –I buy reduced salt cashew pieces from TJ’s), then add to curry along with yogurt and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
Cooks' note:
Curry, without yogurt and cashews, can be made 5 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat over low heat before stirring in yogurt and ground cashews.
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