Chicken in Cashew and Coconut Sauce

from Mughul Cooking by Joyce Westrip

interpreted by Maud Hallin

serves 6

1 skinned chicken cut into pieces, or 6 skinless chicken breasts

for marinade:

1 1/2 cups yogurt

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, steeped for 15 minutes in 1 tablespoon hot milk

(you can use microwave for this)

Cashew and Coconut Sauce

2 tablespoons ghee or butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (canola or similar)

2 yellow onions, finely sliced

3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

3 dried red Thai chiles (here you make your "hot" decision)

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 green cardamom pods, crushed (hull can go in)

1 teaspoon coriander seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder)

1 teaspoon green cumin seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

10 raw cashew nuts

1 16-ounce can of coconut milk (non-sweetened)

Prick the chicken pieces with a fork to allow marinade to penetrate. Mix marinade ingredients, coat chicken pieces and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Good if you can tum and mix pieces a couple of times.

To make the cashew and coconut sauce, heat the ghee or butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and fry the onion, ginger and garlic until onions tum pale golden.

Separately heat the chiles, fennel seeds, cardamom pods, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Grind them in a spice grinder and add to the onion mixture along with salt and pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes. Grind and mix the poppy seeds and cashew nuts, and add to the above mixture. Continue cooking and stirring for about 3 minutes. If mixture sticks to pot, add a bit of water. Up to this point you can make the sauce the day before, or whenever you have time.

45 minutes before dinner, add the chicken pieces and the marinade to the warmed sauce. Mix well and turn to coat. Gradually add the coconut milk and simmer for about 35 minutes. Test for doneness.

This pale-colored dish simulates the silvery white of the moon and was presented on certain full moon nights, often decorated with thin sheets of silver. The recipe comes from Hyderabad, which is known for its wonderful cooking.

This is a great party dish, once you get the hang of it. It is divine, even as a cold leftover, and not "hot spicy." The poppy seeds and cashew nuts act as thickening agents for the sauce and of course also give special flavors. The poppy seeds are supposed to be white, but they are hard to find - so use regular ones and forget about the moon issue.