• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter or ghee
• 1 tbsp. neutral oil, like canola
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 inches long
• 2 large white or yellow onions, peeled and finely chopped
• One  2-1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated or minced
• 6 cloves of garlic, peel and crushed
• 2 green cayenne or jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and cut into half-moons, or use 1 tap. Indian chile powder
• kosher salt to taste
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. pureed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground tumeric
• 3 tbsp. whole-milk yogurt, plus 1 cup to serve with the meal (I made a delicious raita from Meera’s cookbook – see recipe below)
• 1-3/4 to 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks (I used breasts)
• 3 tbsp. slivered almonds (I was not fond of this ingredient in the curry – will grind them up next time)
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• pinch of ground cayenne pepper, or to taste

Melt the butter or ghee in the oil in a large Dutch oven. Once it is hot and shimmering add the cumin seeds and cinnamon sticks. Cook for a minute or two, stirring often, then add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15-20 minutes.

Put the ginger, garlic and peppers into a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt, and smash them together into a coarse paste. Or do this on a cutting board with a sharp knife. I used a convenient garlic/ginger paste.

Add the paste to the onions and cook for a couple of minutes, pour in the tomatoes and stir. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the ground cumin, turmeric and another pinch of salt and stir to combine.

Add the yogurt slowly into the mixture and whisk it into the sauce with a wooden spoon. When it begins to bubble, add the chicken pieces. Lower the heat, put the lid on and allow the curry to cook gently for 30 minutes or so, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the slivered almonds (did not care for the crunch) and garam masala, along with a pinch of cayenne; cook for 5 minutes more.

Serve with rice and/or naan and the additional yogurt. I chose to make a recipe from Meera’s cookbook to take the edge off this spicy curry.

Pomegranate and Mint Raita:

• pomegranate seeds (to taste)
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 cups Greek yogurt (I used full-fat)
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. amchur (dried mango powder) to sprinkle on top

Roast the cumin seeds for a couple of minutes, then grind coarsely using a mortar and pestle. Spoon the yogurt into a serving dish, add the cumin seeds, salt, sugar, fresh mint and pomegranate seeds and combine. Sprinkle with amchur powder, few mint leaves and a few pomegranate seeds.

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com