Kashmiri chicken curry

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This is a spice-filled dish with an exquisite taste. I love it. I swapped blueberries for the original raisins in the recipe. Raisins are fairly empty calories whereas blueberries are a superfood. Alicia queried this substitution since she thought blueberries were only for breakfast with cereal or for deserts. But there are great sauces to be made with these berries which go spectacularly with roast duck and other proteins. The blueberry paste I use here can also be a useful addition to a number of dishes.

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‍Main Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp paprika (or Kashmiri Chili powder if you can find it)
• 1 tsp minced garlic    
• 1 tsp minced ginger

Cashew nut paste:

• 15 cashew nuts
• ¼ cup water

Blueberry paste:

(The original recipe called for raisins, but their calories are high and their health benefits are not. Blueberries work just as well and pack a nutritional punch).

• 20 blueberries (frozen or fresh)
• water

For the chicken curry:

• 1 kg (2lbs) chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces. You can use a number of other protein sources—shrimps, tofu or meat substitute for example. Obviously the calorie count would differ—tofu for example has half the calories as chicken.
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tbsp red chili powder or more to taste
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• water
• coriander leaves, cashew nuts and blueberries for garnish

‍Directions:

To make the cashew nut paste:

1. Place cashew nuts in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and soak for 15 minutes. Place nuts with just enough water in the bowl of a small food processor (or coffee grinder). Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Blueberry paste:

1. Follow the same instructions as for the cashew paste

Marinate chicken:

1. Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Add a ¼ cup of water and mix into a smooth paste.
2. Add chicken pieces into the bowl and mix to coat the chicken in the marinade. Cover and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Cooking the curry:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Add chicken in batches and cook until both sides turn brown. Don’t overcook. Remove chicken from pan. Set aside.
2. Add 1 tbsp more oil to the same pan and heat. Add onions, and sauté over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes or until goldenish. Add ginger and garlic. Sauté until aromatic (about 2 minutes). Add cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, ground ginger and red chili powder. Sauté, stirring constantly, for a minute or so.
3. Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until tomatoes turn mushy. Add 1/2 cup water. Stir and simmer for about 2 minutes. Stir in cashew nut paste and raisin paste.
4. Add the chicken. Cover with water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken pieces are cooked through.
5. Garnish with a few cashew nuts, blueberries and coriander or parsley leaves.

‍Yield: 6 servings

‍Energy: 952 kJs (236 calories) per serve