Chicken and Apricot Masala

Hi, this is Karl. I’ve seen a lot of blog posts that give a lengthy overview of a recipe, having the reader scroll through a lengthy post to get to the recipe, itself. I’m going to reverse that…

First, though, to give credit where it is due, this recipe was posted in the New York Times by Nigella Lawson, a chef, TV personality and author.

What you’ll need for making chicken and apricot masala (serves 4):

1 cup dried apricots (these will need to be soaked overnight, ideally, and cut in half, if you wish)
½ t hot red pepper flakes
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
4 cloves (or more, if you wish)
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 T minced garlic
1 T minced ginger
¼ cup peanut (or vegetable) oil
1 cinnamon stick (I used 2)
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 t salt
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
4 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice (a 14.5-oz can of diced, no-salt-added diced tomatoes works, too)
2 T tomato paste, diluted in 1/2 cup water (I used this, but not sure that it’s needed)
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

What to do with those ingredients:

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. The longer method will infuse more of the apricot flavor into the water. Be sure to measure carefully, you’ll be using that water later.

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. (This is not a “paste,” per se, but a thick, watery spice mixture)

In a large sauté pan (Any vessel will work that has a large surface area. Cast iron is my choice.) over medium heat, heat oil and cinnamon stick(s). Add onions and salt, and sauté until onions begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes (this may take longer). Add masala, and stir. Add chicken, and stir for about 5 minutes. Add apricots and their soaking liquid, diced tomatoes and diluted tomato paste. (If you add the chicken to the onions before the masala, the chicken will have a chance to brown, which gives it a nice flavor.)

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. (If you’re not careful, the dish can turn out a bit watery, so as it cooks, ensure that some of the liquid is being cooked off.)

As a follow up, both my wife and I did quite enjoy this recipe. That said, it did not have an “Indian flavor,” as one would expect from a masala. If you’re partial to cooking something good that isn’t overly spicy, I highly recommend making this dish, which is well accompanied by either Basmati or Japanese rice.