This is a slightly “abridged” version I made up from combining several recipes from Indian cooking websites, a cooking segment on Good Morning America I saw on youtube, and doing some experimentation.
NOTE- this recipe requires about 15 to 20 minutes of prep the night before. With that done, it only takes about 45 minutes to make the next night.
Ingredient to have on hand:
Chicken breast - I usually use 3 to 4 lbs
Fresh or canned tomatoes, 4oz per pound of chicken. (If canned make sure it doesn’t have citric acid added!)
An onion - any kind works but a red onion is best
Raw cashews
Plain full fat greek yogurt
Lemon - for juice
Butter Ghee (optional, you can just sub butter)
Regular butter
Heavy cream (if you know how to make cashew cream, you can sub that, but you might as well sub the chicken for tofu at that point)
Rice to go with - basmati is traditional, but I use jasmin (make saffron rice!)
Spices:
Garam Masala
Ground Cardamom
Ground Coriander
Cumin
Cinnamon
Cloves
Salt
Optional, if you want to achieve full flavor:
Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
Kashmiri Chilli (a deep red medium chilli powder)
Ginger paste (sub a bit of ginger powder if you can’t find it)
Garlic paste (this is VERY optional)
NOTE on spices: unless otherwise noted, season with your feelings, or to taste.
(night before) For the Tandoori-lite chicken/prep:
Cube chicken breast to approximately 1 to 1.5in cubes and leave on the cutting board for the next step.
To a gallon size freezer bag add around ¼ cup and 1 tsp lemon juice per pound of chicken. Then shake in some garam masala, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and a bit of cloves. If you have kashmiri chilli add a little of that too.
Close the bag and massage it to get everything mixed together well.
Add the chicken and massage again.
Squeeze out the air, close it up, let it sit 24 hours in the fridge to make the next day.
Now go coarsely dice an onion and throw it in the fridge
To actually make this:
First, you’ll start the cashews (just soak a handful in hot water) and the saffron rice, as soon as that is on you will start the oven (375f). While those are started you will concurrently make the sauce. When the chicken and sauce are done, you’ll combine them together an service with rice on the side.
Set the oven (375f).
Next, saute the onions according to your motivation and time. At the low end, they just need to be soft and starting to brown. At the high end, caramelized is the best.
While the onions are working on cooking, take a moment and spread the chicken as thinly as possible over the cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.
Sauce base:
(when the oven hits temp while sauce making don’t forget to put in the chicken)
In a blender combine-
Tomatoes
Soaked cashews
Cooked onion
1 tsp sugar
Small handful of kasoori methi leaves
Maybe ½ cup or so of water so it blends properly
Puree well! I usually leave it running for a couple minutes just to be sure.
While the blender is running, heat up some ghee or butter in a deep skillet, saucepan, or pot large enough to hold the whole end result. Make sure you have a lid handy. Now saute for about 2 minutes a bunch of all the spices listed at the top (except salt), you’ll use enough that you have several teaspoons of “dark spice paste” when done. HINT: I listed the spice in order of what you should use the most of, to what you should use the least of! If you have ginger and/or garlic paste add it as well. I highly recommend ginger paste. Aldi’s has it BTW.
Once you have the spice paste, add the contents of the blender, and simmer for 15 minutes covered but with the lid ajar. Carefully stir it every few minutes, it will get thickish.
While that is simmering the chicken should be about done baking, I use a thermometer to check that its about 155f. When it is, I finish it off by switching to broil for a few minutes. Then take it out and set it aside while the sauce finishes.
If the sauce gets too thick while simmering, add some water. When it's done simmering add half a stick of butter and half a cup of heavy cream (adjust if needed). Stir it up good, add the chicken, then stir it up some more.
NOW EAT IT.
Serve with saffron rice on the side.
Be careful, it goes down easy, you’ll clear 3 plates before you know it.