Turmeric Cashew Chicken

This sauce. This sauce! It is so easy and so delicious that I am slightly upset I only discovered this recipe in 2023.

I've tweaked it, obviously, as it didn't have enough delicious curry flavors the first time I made it, and I had more spices on hand that I thought would work, so I've noted what are additions from the original recipe. I'm also lazy, so skipped the step where you marinate chicken in chopped garlic and ginger, and instead just threw everything into the blended sauce. Trust me, you won't notice a difference.

Turmeric Cashew Chicken

Serves 4

Adapted from Bon Appetit January 2023 issue

Ingredients

2/3 cup raw cashews

5 garlic cloves

1 2" piece of ginger, roughly chopped (I leave the skin on too, after I wash the ginger)

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (original recipe called for boneless skinless thighs, which is probably more delicious but not what I've been cooking with)

1 tsp kosher salt

2 red Thai chilies (or 1 jalapeno in original recipe)

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 1/2 tsp turmeric (1/2 tsp in original recipe)

1 tsp garam masala (my addition)

3 big handfuls of baby spinach or kale (my addition)

Steamed rice, cilantro sprigs, and lime wedges (for serving)

Method

1. Place cashews in a small bowl and pour in hot water to cover. Let sit until softened (you should be able to crush a nut easily between 2 fingers), 15-20 mins.
2. Drain cashews and transfer to a blender. Add  garlic cloves, ginger, red Thai chilies, 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 1 tsp. cumin seeds, 1 ½ tsp. ground turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp. kosher salt, and 1½ cups water to blender and blend until smooth. Set cashew sauce aside.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken, sprinkling with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, tossing occasionally, until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add reserved cashew sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 6 minutes.
4. Add spinach or kale and stir to wilt completely, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Divide steamed rice among shallow bowls and spoon cashew chicken over; top with cilantro sprigs. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Coconutty Beans & Greens

Some may remember a 9-month period where A and I attempted to be vegan (at least at home). It introduced me to a lot of new recipes and was a good way for us to be a little more mindful of how much meat we have in our diet, and we still mostly use milk substitutes at home now (A is particularly fond of coconut milk for the flavor it adds to his teas and coffees).

This recipe happens to be vegan, but I think it's so flavorful that it beats a lot of non-vegan recipes for me. A feature by Zaynab Issa, associate food editor at Bon Appetit, says this is a take on mbaazi wa nazi, an East African pigeon pea dish, so I should clearly go seek that out as this dish was a big hit. The picture above shows how many jars of this are ready to go for quick lunches during the week.

Coconutty Beans and Greens

Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2023 issue

6 servings

Ingredients

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 plum tomato, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves

1 1" piece ginger, scrubbed

2 red Thai chilies (I bought a fairly large size bag of frozen ones at the Asian grocery and so always have them in the freezer)

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp kosher salt

1 13.5oz can of unsweetened coconut milk

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1/4" rounds and then quartered 

1 16oz package baby spinach & kale (my substitution for chard)

2 15oz cans navy beans (a substitution for cannellini, butter or gigante beans)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Optional: baguette

Method

1. Puree onion, tomato, garlic, ginger and chiles in a blender until smooth. I had to add 1/4 cup of water to get this to work, but it's fine, it cooks off in the next step.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add blender mixture and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture is evaporated and mixture is paste-like in consistency and beginning to stick to bottom of pot.
3. Stir in coriander, cumin, and 1/2 tsp salt. Pour in coconut milk and 2 cups water and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to buil. Add sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10-12 minutes.
4. Add beans, spinach and kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach and kale is wilted, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice as needed.
5. Spoon into bowls and serve. If using baguette, slice it and toast it in a pan with a small amount of oil, then serve on the side of bowls.