Olive oil for cooking
300 g chicken breast or thighs without bones, sliced or chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 small carrots, chopped
100 g green beans, cut in halves (can be replaced by butternut squash or eggplant)
1 tbsp butter (yes, that is enough for the flavour)
4-5 green cardamom pods
1/3 tsp ground cloves
1 heaped tsp cumin
1 tsp Garam masala
A pinch of chili powder or to taste
60 g / 2 handfuls of cashew nuts, soaked in hot water or 1 tbsp cashew butter
150 - 200 ml chicken stock
500 g tomato passata
1 tsp brown sugar to balance out the acidity (optional)
Salt to taste
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/3 tsp salt
115 g Greek yogurt
2 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp fenugreek
1/4 tsp cardamom
½ tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Flatbreads or cooked rice
fresh corriander
To marinate the chicken, just combine all the ingredients of the marinade in a container and add in the sliced or chopped chicken. Put it aside in the fridge at least for 30 min, better overnight.
Put the cashews in a cup or a bowl and cover with boiling water, soak while you prepare the rest.
Heat a deep pot or Dutch oven with some olive oil. Add the chicken breast together with the marinade and cook until it starts turning golden on the sides, then take the chicken out and set aside to rest and cover with a plate or aluminium foil to not lose the moisture.
In the same pot, add onion, cook until it starts turning transparent.
Blend the soaked cashews with tomato passata or just mix the cashew butter with it.
Then add the carrots, chicken and all of the ingredients of the sauce to the pot.
Let it simmer on low heat with a lid on for 45 minutes or so to combine all the flavours and reduce; the colour of the sauce should transform from red to bright orange. Add salt to taste.
Heat a pan with some olive oil and cook the beans until they start browning on the sides. Mix in with the prepared butter chicken. Technically, you could also add them directly to the pot and cook there, but I find that this allows the extra moisture to escape and the sauce does not split because of it then.
Serve with rice or flatbread and fresh herbs.
Time: 20 min prep + 45 min cooking
Servings: 2 - 3