Chicken Tikka Masala

I adapted our favorite chicken tikka masala recipe from The Woks of Life to be dairy-free. This is a new favorite of ours! Enjoy.

Ingredients

For the marinade

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2t cumin powder
• 2t kashmiri chili powder (or whatever chili powder you have on hand)
• 2t turmeric powder
• 1t paprika
• 1t cinnamon
• 1t salt
• 1t black pepper

For the sauce

• 2T oil
• 2T butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced small
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Ginger, minced, in an amount equal to the garlic
• 2t garam masala
• 2t ground coriander
• 2t turmeric
• 1t cumin powder
• 1t paprika
• 1/4t cayenne
• 1/2t salt
• 2T tomato paste
• 1c chicken stock
• 3/4c unroasted, unsalted cashews
• 1.5c cold water

Directions

0. Make the cashew cream: Combine the cashews and water in blender and blend until very, very smooth.
1. Combine all the marinade ingredients and let sit for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Heat oil and 1T butter over medium heat. Brown chicken in batches (do not overcrowd the pan!), then remove to a plate.
3. Add remaining butter and the onion to the pan. Saute until onion is nicely caramelized.
4. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the garam masala, coriander, turmeric, cumin, paprika, and cayenne as well as the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
6. Add chicken stock and cashew cream and stir well.
7. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then add the chicken. Cook on low heat until chicken is cooked through. Adjust salt to taste.