Wednesday, August 26, 2009

I feel like chicken tonight … Chicken Vindaloo

vin1

I liked curried chicken, but never really fell in love with it until I had it at Moon Under Water, a local British colonial-style restaurant downtown. Mic took me there for the first time, one of the five restaurants he will go to, and I tried the curry with the full setup (cucumber raita, pickled onions and mango chutney) and just couldn’t get enough. Paired with a cold lager and lime, this is one of my favorite treats.

You can buy the curry sauce from the restaurant and half the fun is being part of the crowd there, when it is nice out since it has outdoor tables and dog people can bring their mini companions. But I wanted to attempt this warm, spicy feeling at home. Several years back I found a recipe in Cooking Light Magazine which of course has eluded me now. It was delicious. Now I have perused and fondled so many magazines and Internet pages that I just gave up and started anew.

The recipe I found was for pork vindaloo with basmati rice. My alterations include chicken instead of pork and brown rice instead of basmati, but I will do the full set up. In all my shopping yesterday to fill up fridge, freezer and cupboard with food for the next Armageddon, I neglected to get a red onion. WTF. So I ventured out today for a lone onion and recalled several other things I “need” for the week. I just love food shopping when I know there is the potential of delightful things involved. It’s like getting all gussied up for a date and dreaming of the next morning.

vin2

Chicken Vindaloo

Combine the following in a bowl and place in the fridge for an hour.

3/4 cup thinly sliced Vidalia onion

1tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

½ tsp dry mustard

½ tsp ground cumin

Dash of salt

¼ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground turmeric

¼ tsp black pepper

½ tsp ground red pepper

Dash of ground cloves

1TBSP cider vinegar

1 minced garlic clove

¾ lb chicken breast cut into cubes

Coat a Dutch oven with Pam or lightly with oil. Add chicken mixture and toss until it is browned. Add in 1 cup of diced tomatoes with juice and cover to cook for about 30 minutes.

Serve over rice with the full setup.

The aromas feel the kitchen, and thanks to the size, my whole house. Sweet cinnamon and clove dancing around savory onions and garlic made an incredible mélange that the nose knew before the mouth that this was a wonderful meal.

Anyone want to share with me?

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