Nigella Lawson Chicken and Apricot Masala

Name: Nigella Lawson Chicken and Apricot Masala
Prep time: 1440 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1485 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: South Asia — Muslim traditions
Ingredients: 1 cup dried apricot; 0.5 tsp hot red pepper flakes; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 4 cardamom pods; 1 tbsp minced garlic; 1 tbsp minced ginger; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 onions; 1 tsp salt; 3 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts; 4 medium tomatoes; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 0.5 cup water; 3 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

Chicken, apricot and coriander come together in this South Asian dish, fragrant with cumin and cardamom and simmered on the stove. It's finished with cilantro.

24 hr 45 min · Serves 6 · Medium

Method

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Time: Prep 1440 min · Cook 45 min · 1485 min total
Difficulty: medium

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.
180 min
2
Prepare masala: In a small bowl, combine hot pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, cloves, cardamom, garlic and ginger.
3
Add 1/4 cup water, and stir to make a paste. Set aside. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat cinnamon stick.
4
Add onions and salt, and sauté until onions begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add masala, and stir.
3 min
5
Add chicken, and stir for about 5 minutes. Add apricots and their soaking liquid, diced tomatoes and diluted tomato paste.
5 min
6
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.
30 min
7
Transfer to a large bowl, sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot.