Auntie chicken (aka cream & pepper chicken)

This is a rich, creamy, white-sauce curry that's flavorful but not very spicy.  We were very surprised to learn the recipe.  There are very few spices, and it's much faster than the regular Indian curry because you don't need to slowly brown onions and then tomatoes (since this contains neither); it's just chicken, dairy products, sesame seeds and white and black pepper.

The original recipe for this comes from Maria's aunt.  Here it is, slightly revised:

Recipe:

~1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs

1 cup whole milk yogurt - we use greek

2 TBSP butter

2 tsp ginger garlic paste (substitute with 1-2 cloves garlic and slightly less volume of ginger minced)

2 green chilies (we used serrano)

1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half (we have also used whole milk in a pinch)

1 tsp white pepper (1/2 tsp if you're worried about sensitive kiddos)

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp white sesame seeds

2 TBsp fresh cilantro chopped

salt to taste

Cut chicken into 1" cubes (or whatever size you like to eat).  Mix with yogurt, black and white peppers, ginger and garlic paste, sesame seeds and salt to taste (we used 1/2 tsp).  You can marinate if you want, but we never do and it comes out great anyway.

Heat 2 TBs oil on medium heat and add chicken/yogurt mixture. Simmer uncovered for ~8 minutes or until chicken is almost cooked. It will become more watery as the chicken releases liquid, that's fine. You can simmer to reduce it down, your chicken thighs can handle it, or just leave it more liquidy.

Add the cream (or milk or half-and-half) and then butter. Simmer for another 5-15 min until sauce is desired thickness.

When done add fresh cilantro and green chilies cut in half the long direction and cover the pot so the ingredients can make friends.

Here is Maria mixing the chicken and yogurt:

In the pan!

After it's been simmering for awhile:

All done!