Chicken Breast in Mughal Sauce (Chaandee Quarmah)

Style: Indian

Ingredients:
150g butter, unsalted
2 bay leaves
5 cardamons
1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
50g shalots- chopped
50g tomato - chopped
150ml chicken stock
Pinch of saffron (omitted)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp white pepper
100g cashew nut paste
200ml fresh cream
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (omitted)
1/2 tsp methi powder (omitted)
5 chicken breasts
1/2 lemon

Directions:
1. Heat butter in a pan over a medium fire. Once melted, add bay leaves and cardamons, and stir-fry for 1 minute or until fragrant.
2. Add ginger and garlic paste and stir-fry for another minute, stirring all the time to prevent the mixture from sticking on to the pan.
3. Add chicken pieces. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Turn over and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove chicken and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add shallots and stir-fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and mix well for 30 seconds.
5. Pour in chicken stock and turn the fire to high. Sprinkle saffron over to flavour and colour and bring mixture to a boil.
6. Once boiling, add turmeric powder. Bring fire down to medium and continue to simmer. At this point, add more stock - about 20-30ml will do. Season with salt and pepper, stir to mix well.
7. Add cashew nut paste next. once you do this, the mixture will turn creamy.
8. Bring chicken pieces back to the pan. Coat with the hot mixture.
9. Sprinkle methi powder over and mix well.
10. Squeeze lemon over the chicken and mix again.
11. Finish with fresh cream. By this time, the dish is almost ready.
12. Garnish with coriander and serve with white rice.