Chickpea 'Butter Chicken'

A vegan version of Butter Chicken (aka Murgh Makhani) with chickpeas, cashew cream, and no butter.  Chicken, dairy cream, and butter can be used if preferred.

Serves 4

4 tbsp vegetable oil

500g carton of passata2 cans of chickpeas and their liquid

1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

5cm piece of ginger, roughly chopped

1 cinnamon stick

8 cloves

1 tsp black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp chilli powder

6 cardamon pods

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp hot chilli flakes

1 tsp garam masala 

1/2 tsp ground turmeric 

1 tsp salt

100ml cashew cream (40g cashews soaked in 100ml hot water) 

Liquidiser the onion, garlic, and ginger with enough water to make a smooth double cream like puree.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium high heat, then add cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, cumin seeds and cardamon pods. Stir until the seeds start to they start to pop.

Carefully pour in the onion puree into the pan.  It will spit violently! Stir regularly until the puree reduces, starts, darken in colour,  and threatens to stick to the bottom of the pan.  

Add the passata, chickpeas, and their liquid. Add the rest of the ingredients (chilli flakes, garam masala, turmeric, and salt) apart from the cashew cream.  Cover and bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour 100ml boiling water over the cashews and leaves to soften while the curry is cooking.

Bring to the boil and pour over the chicken thighs in the slow cooker.  Stir the chicken into the sauce and leave to cook on High for 6 hours.

After 20 minutes, liquidise the cashews and water and stir into the curry. Bring back to piping hot, then serve over basmati rice.

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