Chicken curry with onion flatbreads

Ingredients:

Chicken Curry:

• 1.2 kg skinless and boneless chicken thighs
• 5 Rome tomatoes
• 0.5 l of heavy cream
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt
• 1 cup cashews, plus extra for garnish
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 6 cardamom fruits
• 5 black peppercorns
• 4 buds of cloves
• 2 large chopped onions
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 piece of peeled and finely chopped ginger, 5 cm long.
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil, plus a little more for greasing
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Additional equipment: spice grinder and grill pan

Onion pancakes:

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 finely chopped green chili (optional)
• 2 cups of wheat flour, plus a little more for working with the dough
• Salt
• 1 tsp ghee (ghee) or vegetable oil plus a little more for frying
• Chopped fresh cilantro (optional) plus leaves for garnish

Preparation:

1. For the chicken curry: In a large bowl, toss the chicken thighs with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.
   
   In a small saucepan, toast the cashews (including any garnishes) over low heat. In a small, dry frying pan, toast the coriander, cumin, cardamom, peppercorns, and cloves over low heat. Let them cool, then grind them in a spice grinder.
2. Place the onion, garlic, and ginger in a blender and blend until smooth. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion mixture and bay leaf to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion mixture is golden brown, about 15 minutes.
3. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Slit the bottom of each tomato with a paring knife and plunge it into the boiling water for 15 seconds. Remove from the water and peel.
   
   Place the peeled tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the tomatoes to the onion mixture along with the cayenne pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, marinated chicken thighs, toasted and ground spices, and a pinch of salt.
   
   Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have formed a smooth, runny paste and the oil in the mixture begins to separate. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
4. Place the cream, a cup of cashews, and a pinch of salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the cream and nuts to the chicken and tomato mixture and blend. Keep warm until serving.
   
   For the onion pancakes: Preheat oven to 230°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
   Place the sliced ​​onion on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until lightly browned, less than 5 minutes. Add the chili pepper (if using).
5. In a large bowl, combine the wheat flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add ghee and enough water to form a dough. Begin kneading and punching the dough down, adding more water as needed.
   
   The dough should be smooth and soft. Using your hands, form the dough into 6-8 medium-sized balls. Work with one piece of dough at a time. On a floured surface, roll the ball into a disk 8-10 cm in diameter.
   
   Place a small amount of the onion and chili mixture in the center, add a pinch of cilantro (if using) and a pinch of salt. Fold the dough over, bringing the edges together to form a semicircle. Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a board and roll the dough and filling into a disk 15-20 cm in diameter.
6. In a large skillet, heat 1-2 teaspoons of ghee over medium-low heat. Fry the flatbreads in batches until the bottoms are evenly browned. Add another 1-2 teaspoons of ghee and flip the flatbread to brown the other side, less than 2 minutes per side.
   
   To serve: Chop the remaining roasted cashews. Divide the chicken curry among bowls and sprinkle with cashews. Serve with hot onion flatbreads.