I never thought I would be one of those people who craved Indian food. Seriously, I didn’t even know that was a thing – I can tell you now, it is. We are one week out from our packers coming to take away all of our belongings for the next two months, so that means I am going through the pantry to use up as much as I can.
I made the naan earlier in the day and thanks to my hungry kids, that was gone 5 minutes after dinner started. That helped me use my flour, yeast, and oil and thanks to a hefty shopping trip a few weeks back, I still had some Greek yogurt in the fridge. You know those dates on yogurt can sometimes be stretched pretty far:)
This chicken dish helped me use up a couple of containers of cashews. I bought some cashews in bulk and there were little chopped pieces at the bottom that I just knew I would find a use for. I was determined to not throw them out. No food waste.
I also wanted to use up a bunch of spices before we leave. Two months in storage without temperature control isn’t going to be good for my dry spices, so it’s time to use them up. I made a fresh batch of garam masala and I’m getting close to the end of paprika, black pepper, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. I’m already out of so many and I refuse to buy more.
I don’t buy a lot of canned foods, but I always have canned tomatoes on hand, so they were screaming my name today.
So, if we combine my need to use up a bunch of pantry foods, along with my craving for Indian food, we get Indian Cashew Chicken. I could seriously eat this everyday. In fact, I know some of you are making these big portions and eating them all week long (Ann, I’m looking at you) – which is the most perfect way to eat, if you asked me.
This is a pretty forgiving dish. Use whatever onions you have on hand, play with the spices and the heat. Use salted or unsalted butter, or switch up your oils. Some recipes need to be followed exactly, but some, like this one, are able to withstand a few changes.
Try this one (and make the naan if you have time – it’s crazy good)
Enjoy
Indian Cashew Chicken
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 1 hour 25 mins
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- Marinade
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Sauce
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1.5 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (less if you don’t like the heat)
- 1, 14oz can diced tomatoes
- 1/3 cup chopped cashews, plus extra for garnish
- cilantro for garnish
- Serve with Naan Bread
Instructions
- Cut chicken into bite sized pieces
- In a sealable container or gallon size resealable bag, add chicken and marinade ingredients
- Massage chicken to coat, place in refrigerator, and let chicken marinate for an hour
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons canola oil and chicken
- Cook chicken for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through
- Remove from heat and turn down heat slightly – there will still be liquid in the pan
- Add butter and 2 tablespoons canola oil
- Add onions to the pan and sauté until they look clear – about 4 minutes
- Add garlic, ginger, paprika, turmeric, garam masala, salt, and either the full amount of red pepper flakes or reduce to keep heat to a minimum
- Add the diced tomatoes and stir
- Add the chicken back in and then the cashews
- Stir to combine
- Sprinkle extra cashews and cilantro on top
- Serve with naan bread