Spicy Braised Chicken with Coconut Milk, Turmeric and Cashews

This curry-like chicken braise is our adaptation of a recipe in “Buttermilk Graffiti” by Friend of Milk Street chef Edward Lee, who featured the dish in a chapter on Houston’s Nigerian-American community. The combination of coconut milk and cashews gives the sauce a delicious richness. Whole habanero chilies add a balancing backdrop of spiciness but not searing heat. If you want to turn up the dial, cut one, or both, of the chilies in half, keeping the seeds, but make sure to remove the halves before serving. Steamed rice is the perfect accompaniment to soak up all the creamy sauce.