This northern Indian specialty curry dish is rich, savory yet mild.  The curry sauce is creamy in texture and uses buttermilk but can be substituted with yogurt or cream.  We placed the dish on a bed of sticky rice.  The recipe is courtesy of the William Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking.  The dish takes some time to prepare and then cook but it’s worth the wait.

Ingredients
• 1⁄4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-inch (5-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2-inch (5-cm) piece cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 11⁄2 cups (12 fl oz/375 ml) chicken broth
• 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) canned tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt
• 2 lb (1 kg) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1⁄2 inch (12 mm) wide
• 1⁄2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) buttermilk
• 1⁄2 cup (3 oz/90 g) roasted cashew nuts
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)

Directions
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and cumin and sauté until the spices are fragrant and evenly coat the chopped onion, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil.

STOVE TOP: Transfer the broth-spice mixture to a large Dutch oven. Add the chicken strips and stir to coat. Partially cover and cook over low heat until the chicken is very tender and the sauce is thickened, about 1 hour.

SLOW COOKER: Transfer the broth-spice mixture to a slow cooker. Add the chicken strips and stir to coat. Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender and the sauce is thickened, 3 hours on the high-heat setting or 6 hours on the low-heat setting.

About 15 minutes before the chicken is done, combine the buttermilk and cashews in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until the nuts are finely puréed and combined with the buttermilk. Add to the chicken and stir to blend with the chicken and sauce. Continue cooking until the sauce is completely heated through and thick, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon and bay leaves.
Divide the chicken and sauce among warmed bowls, garnish with the cilantro, and serve at once.

Wine(s) to Pair:
Curry dishes are, on the whole, a perfect match for an Alsatian Gewurztraminer with its honeyed apricot and citrus aromas, a scent of rose, cream and white pepper, some allspice and a hint of the classic litchi.  It may also reveal bitter almond and orange notes.  We chose the 2007 Domaine Zind Hubrecht Alsace.  If this style does not suit your taste, try an off dry or Spatlese German Riesling or a Viognier.

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Tags: Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Viognier, William Sonoma