Real Simple Chicken Curry

I made the recipe below at the Cafe tonight. As the name implies, it was real simple to make. However, please see the Cook's Notes for my recommendations for improvement.


Real Simple Quick Chicken Curry

1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 large skinless, boneless chicken-breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)

Accompaniments: 2 cups cooked rice; 1/2 cup salted, shelled peanuts; and 3 scallions, slivered.

In a large, deep skillet, cook the onion in the oil over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato juice and simmer for 2 minutes to blend the flavors. Add the chicken and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the salt. Serve half the chicken curry over rice. Top with the peanuts and scallions. Freeze the remaining chicken curry.

To Freeze: Spoon the chicken curry into a freezer container. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave. To serve Quick Chicken Curry as is, cover with plastic wrap and heat in the microwave for 7 to 9 minutes or until heated through, stirring once. Or spoon into an ovenproof baking dish. Cover with foil and place in a 325° F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.


Yield: Makes 4 servings with leftovers

Cook's Notes: This was easy to make but it was not spicy enough for our taste. I will make this dish again, but next time I will add a a little more red wine, some crushed red pepper and increase the amount of "curry powder."

Technically, there is no such thing as curry powder. A tablespoon of curry is made by combining:

1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried coriander
1/2 teaspoon teaspoon dried ginger