Indian Cashew Chicken

This is a lighter version of an Indian dish called “murgh makhani” (butter chicken), which is a thick full-bodied sauce punctuated with Indian spices.  It is delicious served over brown basmati rice and grilled seasonal vegetables.

(modification of recipe originally from Cooking Light)

Serves 6

• 2/3 cup cashews, toasted
• 2/3 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground red/cayenne pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 14 ounces total) cut in to bite-sized pieces
• 2 (8 ounce) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut in to bite-sized pieces
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups finely chopped onion (2 medium onions)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 cups fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half
• Chopped fresh cilantro (optional garnish)

Combine first 9 ingredients (cashews through garlic) in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.  Pour nut mixture in to a large zip top bag; add chicken pieces to bag.  Close bag and ensure that all chicken pieces are covered with nut mixture.  Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat.  Add olive oil.  Add onion, cinnamon and cardamom to pan; cover and cook 10 minutes or until onion is golden, stirring often.

Add chicken and nut mixture to Dutch oven (squeezing all of nut mixture out of bag); cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in broth, puree, paprika and salt, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits.  Cook 45 minutes or until thick.  Stir in half-and-half; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.  Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.

Nutritional Info/Serving (without rice):  329 Calories, Fat 13 g, Protein 36 g, Carbs 16 g

21 Day Fix Container Equivalents (without rice):  1.5 Red, 0.5 Green, 0.5 Purple, 0.5 Blue, 0.5 tsp