CHICKEN AND APRICOT MASALA

Chicken and Apricot Masala image

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.

Provided by Nigella Lawson

Time 45m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 cup dried apricots
1/2 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
1/4 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

Steps:

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.
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.
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.
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.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 450, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 23 grams, Fat 19 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 47 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 655 milligrams, Sugar 16 grams, TransFat 0 grams