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Chicken and Apricot Masala

I love curry, but on the whole I am not interested in cooking that involves too much spice-grinding or many-layered processes. Thus this chicken masala is my version of a curry: it demands little effort and delivers a huge amount of flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried apricots
  • ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • ¼ cup peanut oil
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
  • 4 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste, diluted in 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

      449 calories; 18 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 47 grams protein; 213 milligrams cholesterol; 653 milligrams sodium

      • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

6 servings

Preparation

  1. Soak apricots overnight in 2 cups cold water, or cover with 2 cups hot water and soak until swollen and softened, 2 to 3 hours.
  2. Prepare masala: In a small bowl, combine hot pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, cloves, cardamom, garlic and ginger. Add 1/4 cup water, and stir to make a paste. Set aside.
  3. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat oil and cinnamon stick. Add onions and salt, and sauté until onions begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add masala, and stir. Add chicken, and stir for about 5 minutes. Add apricots and their soaking liquid, diced tomatoes and diluted tomato paste.
  4. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Check cooking liquid about halfway through; if chicken is covered with liquid, remove cover for remainder of cooking. Transfer to a large bowl, sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot.

45 minutes

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