New Bride Chicken Curry

This is another recipe from my Indian cookbook, as Alex had requested something Indian a few weeks ago. This recipe comes with a very cute story about a new young bride who had to make dinner for her new husband and his boss on short notice and had to butcher her very first chicken. She called an aunt in tears and this recipe was dictated to her over the phone. Apparently during the meal she was so upset, she couldn't even eat a bite!

Although I'm not technically still a "new" bride, and I certainly didn't butcher my own chicken, Alex and I both loved this dish! It was spicy and flavorful, and tasted delicious. The leftovers were almost even tastier the next day! I will for sure be making this again.


New Bride Chicken Curry

Adapted from 5 Spices, 50 Dishes, by Ruta Kahate

4 TBS Canola oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
2 tsp finely grated garlic
1 1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cumin
1 C plus 1 TBS hot water
3 medium tomatoes (I had one Roma tomato, plus a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, this worked fine)
3 pounds chicken (We used boneless, skinless breasts)
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat and saute the onions until softened. Mix the garlic, cayenne, turmeric, and cumin with 1 TBS of water to make a thick paste. (I just added this to the pan right away). Add to the onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir constantly over medium heat until the tomatoes start to break up, about 2 minutes.



Add the chicken and mix to coat with spice paste. Stir over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1 C of water and a bit of salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar, simmer for 1 minute, and then taste. Adjust the vinegar, sugar, or salt if needed.