Melanie’s Tandoori Butternut Curry

2 large chicken breasts
2 large butternut
1 cup yogurt
¼ cup tandoori paste (Aminas)
1 tblsp garlic/ginger paste
½ tsp dhania jeera powder
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp gharam masala
1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
½ tsp crushed black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tblsp lemon juice
(Marinate the chicken breasts in the above for a minimum of 1 hour)

1 large onion diced
3 tomatoes, roughly pulsed in processor
2 tblsp tomato past
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp each: jeera, fennel, coriander, fenugreek seeds
3 green cardamom
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leave
Toast and grind the seeds
1 tsp dhania jeera powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tblsp kashmiri masala (or of choice)
2 tblsp kashmiri chili powder
1 cup boiling water

Method
Add butternut and cover with water and boil for 40 minutes or until you can just insert a knife.
Meanwhile heat 3 tblsp coconut oil or ghee in a pot.
Add onions and fry till soft and golden. Add seeds and fry till fragrant.
Add all masalas and fry coating onions fully.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar and gently simmer till tomatoes are all but cooked. Add chicken plus all marinade.
Add boiling water to bowl you had marinated chicken in to loosen remaining marinade and add to the pot and simmer till chicken ¾ cooked.
Remove butternuts and slice in half, remove seeds and slice into large slices and place in pot pressing down to cover with sauce.
Cook on gentle simmer until you are satisfied that you have the desired gravy and butternut tender but still firm.
Serve with saffron rice and garnish with coriander.

Prepared, tried and tested by:  Melanie Kramar‎