Nut butter gives the sauce of this dish a spicy flavor and at the same time thickens it to a velvety consistency. Do not be tempted to increase the mass of the nut butter listed – you will cover the flavor of the other flavors. (You can store nut butters in health food stores. If you want to make it yourself, follow the directions at the end of this recipe.)
1. heat oil in a large frying pan and sauté onions in it over medium heat until light brown (about 25 min). Stir constantly so they brown evenly and don’t burn.
Fry garlic and ginger for another two minutes. Add turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and bay leaves and fry. Add minced meat and brown. Add nut butter, salt, tomatoes, chickpeas and canned liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook thoroughly. Stir often so that the sauce does not burn. Remove from heat and add garam masala. Season to taste. Bring to the table in a heated serving bowl. Garnish with onions, chilies and tomato chunks as desired.
Nut Butter:
Grind a mound of unsalted roasted nuts in a food processor until a thick paste forms. Always turn the machine off another time in between and use a rubber spatula to push the nut mixture back from the walls of the blender attachment to the blades.
1 1/2 tbsp.