Yogurt Braised Chicken With Cashews And Raisins Recipes

CREAMY CASHEW BUTTER CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the cashews and 1 ½ cups of water into your blender or food processor and blend on high until completely smooth. Pour into a bowl and set it aside. Don't clean your blender yet - you'll need it again.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total. You don't need to cook the chicken all the way through. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• While the chicken is browning, start cooking the curry. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the pan and cook until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and let it cook for 5 minutes more. Add all the spices to a small bowl while the onions are cooking.
• Add the spices to the onions and let them cook for a minute, stirring the whole time. Pour the tomatoes into the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan. Carefully transfer to your blender and blend on high until smooth.
• Pour the curry back into the pan, add the blended cashews, the chopped chicken, ½ cup of water, and (if using) the brown sugar. Bring the curry to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt.

CHICKEN WITH RAISINS

Steps:

• Place raisins in a bowl, add brandy and set aside to plump overnight or for at least 8 hours.
• Make the chicken: Dry chicken pieces. Heat oil in a sauté pan on medium-high, add chicken, skin side down, season with salt and pepper, and sear until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn pieces and brown second side. Scatter shallots over chicken. Add verjus to the pan, cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 to 20 minutes, basting chicken once, until chicken is cooked through.
• Remove chicken to a dish and cover to keep warm. Add raisins with their brandy to the pan, bring to a simmer for a couple of minutes, then add glace de viande and crème fraîche. Cook for several minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
• Return chicken to the pan, baste with the sauce, then transfer the contents of the pan to a warm, rimmed platter and serve.

YOGURT-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH CASHEWS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Place chicken, skin side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Mix 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, 3 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon cardamom and cayenne in small bowl. Sprinkle chicken generously on all sides with spice mix. Let stand 2 hours.
• Combine 1 cup raisins and 1 1/2 cups hot water in medium bowl. Cover; soak until raisins are soft, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Drain, reserving soaking liquid. Blend raisins and 3 tablespoons reserved soaking liquid in mini processor, adding more soaking liquid, if needed, to make smooth paste.
• Place yogurt in medium bowl; whisk 1 minute to lighten. Add black pepper, cinnamon, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom and whisk to blend.
• Heat butter in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and saute until brown, about 6 minutes per side. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups raisins, cashews and cloves. Slowly stir in yogurt mixture. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to platter. Whisk raisin paste and 1/3 cup lemon juice into sauce. Simmer to blend, whisking constantly, about 4 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Spoon over chicken.

YOGURT-BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS WITH GARLIC AND GINGER

Steps:

• Generously season chicken legs all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium. Arrange chicken legs in pot skin side down (you want them to fit snugly) and cook, lifting up once or twice to let hot fat run underneath, until skin is golden brown and crisp, 10-15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, placing skin side up.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add head of garlic, cut sides down, and ginger to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until ginger is starting to brown and curl around the edges and garlic is golden, about 4 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in turmeric followed by 2 cups yogurt and mix until smooth; season with salt.
• Nestle legs back into pot, skin side up, in a single layer and add water just until legs are almost submerged with skin barely peeking out. Bring to a very gentle simmer, adjusting heat if needed, and cook, uncovered, until meat is very tender and just about falling off the bone, 75-90 minutes (the yogurt will separate and look curdled, which is fine). Let cool 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, finely grate remaining garlic clove into a small bowl. Add remaining 1 cup yogurt and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper.
• Smear yogurt mixture across a platter and scatter chickpeas over. Carefully transfer chicken legs to platter. Using a large spoon or small ladle, skim off bright yellow fat that has collected on surface of braising liquid and drizzle all over platter (it's okay if some rogue spices make it onto platter). Top with scallions and mint, then squeeze lime wedges over.