Chicken Curry with Cashews

A wonderfully warm and hearty Indian stew with the nutty flavor of cashews. You can make this one ahead of time; just hold off stirring in the yogurt and cashews until you're ready to start reheating it. A rice cooker can help speed weeknight dinners along. (adapted from Gourmet)

1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
4 chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
a few small potatoes, diced
1 cup frozen peas
one 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
3/4 cup cashews; raw or roasted is fine
3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
chicken broth, for thinning, if needed
cooked basmati rice, for serving

Melt butter in a large dutch oven over medium-low heat, then add onions, garlic and ginger and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. Add curry powder, salt, cumin and cayenne and cook for 2 more minutes. Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add potatoes, peas, diced tomatoes and cilantro and simmer over low heat, covered, for 30-35 minutes.

Pulse cashews in a food processor until very finely ground. Stir yogurt and cashews into curry and simmer for another 5 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. If you feel like the mixture is too thick, thin with a bit of chicken broth until you reach the right consistency. Serve over rice, with extra cilantro.

*Naan is essential on the side! Look for it in the bakery section of your grocery store. Bake for a few minutes directly on your oven rack, then drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.