Chicken Handi

Ingredients

• 800 g boneless chicken thigh, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 2 medium onions (about 300 g), finely sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 200 g), finely chopped
• 200 g full-fat plain yogurt, whisked
• 30 g cashew nuts
• 60 ml hot water, for soaking the cashews
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
• 0.25 tsp ground black pepper
• 1.25 tsp salt
• 100 ml single cream
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• 3 green chillies, slit
• 3 cm piece ginger, cut into matchsticks
• handful coriander leaves, chopped

Before you cook

• Soak the cashew nuts in the hot water for 15 minutes.
• Cut the chicken thighs into even 3 cm pieces so they cook at the same rate.
• Slice the onions as thinly as you can manage.
• Chop the tomatoes finely and whisk the yogurt until smooth.
• Slit the green chillies and cut the ginger into matchsticks.

Steps

1. Blend the soaked cashews with their water to a smooth cream and set the paste aside.
2. Melt the ghee in a heavy handi or casserole over medium heat.
3. Add the sliced onions and fry them for 12 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden.
4. Stir in the ginger and garlic pastes and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes with the salt and cook for 6 minutes, until they break down into a thick paste.
6. Sprinkle in the coriander, cumin, chilli powder, turmeric and black pepper, then stir for 40 seconds.
7. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the yogurt a spoonful at a time so it cannot curdle.
8. Return the pan to low heat and cook for 4 minutes, until the fat rises to the surface.
9. Add the chicken, turn it through the masala and put the lid on.
10. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring twice, until the chicken is tender.
11. Stir in the cashew paste and the cream, then simmer uncovered for 4 minutes.
12. Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between your palms and scatter them over with the garam masala.
13. Drop in the green chillies and ginger matchsticks and turn off the heat.
14. Rest the handi covered for 5 minutes, then finish with coriander leaves and serve with roti.