This rich and warming cashew butter chicken is as good as it gets! By using cashews instead of cream, this recipe is as rich and creamy as any restaurant-style butter chicken, but it's so much healthier for you. Savory, mildly sweet, and creamy notes meld together with a blend of warming spices and tender bites of chicken. It's easy to make, naturally dairy-free, and delicious!
Ingredients
1 ½cupsraw cashews, see notes
2tablespoonsoil, divided
1lbboneless chicken thighs or breasts
1mediumonion, chopped
5clovesgarlic, chopped
2inchpiece of ginger, peeled and chopped
28ouncecan of crushed tomatoes
2tablespoonsbrown sugar, or coconut sugar
Sea salt, to taste
The Spices
1tablespoongaram masala
1teaspoonground turmeric
1teaspoonground coriander
1teaspoonground cumin
¼ to 1teaspoonchili powder, depending how spicy you like it
Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
Instructions
Place the cashews and 1 ½ cups of water into your blender or food processor and blend on high until completely smooth. Pour into a bowl and set it aside. Don't clean your blender yet - you'll need it again.
1 ½ cups raw cashews
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it is brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total. You don't need to cook the chicken all the way through. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
1 lb boneless chicken thighs or breasts
While the chicken is browning, start cooking the curry. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan and cook until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and let it cook for 5 minutes more.
1 medium onion, 5 cloves garlic, 2 inch piece of ginger
Add the spices to the onions and let them cook for a minute, stirring the whole time. Pour the tomatoes into the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan. Carefully transfer to your blender and blend on high until smooth.
28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ to 1 teaspoon chili powder, Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
Pour the curry back into the pan, add the blended cashews, the chopped chicken, ½ cup of water, and the brown sugar. Bring the curry to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt.
2 tablespoons brown sugar, Sea salt
Notes
Cashew pieces are less expensive than whole cashews and work well in this recipe. If you don't have a high-powered blender, soak the cashews in water for a few hours to make them softer and easier to blend. Rinse the cashews and discard the water before you blend them.