Chicken vindaloo

I told you this was coming. We have the spices. We have the chicken.

And now we have chicken vindaloo.

It's my favorite Indian dish. The first time I ever ate Indian food, I ordered chicken vindaloo (along with samosas and garlic naan) because Rory ordered that meal once on Gilmore Girls. Many moons later, I know that not only does Rory have excellent taste in literature, she also has excellent taste in food.

Chicken vindaloo is my favorite Indian meal to this day. It's tangy, tomato-y, and spicy all in one. I like the potatoes in it (actually, I like the potatoes better than the chicken, usually). And of course, anything with garlic naan can't be too bad, right?

It's surprisingly easy to make. Marinate the chicken, saute the chicken and potatoes, add onion, tomato paste, and chicken stock and let simmer until ready. You could also throw some peas in if you wanted, but we were out. If you made the spice blend and marinated the chicken overnight, dinnertime prep really would be minimal.

I used a blend of several recipes because I couldn't find a single one I liked: some didn't incorporate potatoes, others didn't have our desired spice level. It turned out okay. We think there is a lot of room for improvement here. B thought it needed peas or some kind of vegetable IN it. I thought the sauce definitely needed to be thicker. However, we did get something right - the heat was at just the level we like it. So that's one step in the right direction.
 
But that's the thing about cooking, isn't it? Unless you're baking, say, macarons, there's no one exact right way to do things - simply play around, throw things in, and make recipes your own. So hop to it - I think you'll all really enjoy this customizable, tangy meal.

xoxo,
E & B

Chicken vindaloo

Ingredients:
2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, finely diced
3 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth

Spice blend:
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
1 piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Make the spice blend first. Let sit 20 minutes.
The directions all said to put through a food processor to make a paste, but we skipped that part.
Instead, put chicken and spice blend in a container and let marinate a little while (you choose how long).
In a very large pot or skillet (we did pot, to prevent splattering), heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
Add marinated chicken and potatoes, and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add onion, tomato paste, and salt and pepper, stirring occasionally.
Add 1/2 cup chicken broth, cover the pot/skillet with a tight lid, and lower the heat to low.
Let chicken simmer 7-10 minutes, or until the chicken is done and the potatoes are tender.
Serve over rice, preferably with garlic naan.
Enjoy!

Nutrition:
The chicken, onion, and potato mixture yields about 6 servings, each at roughly 215 calories apiece. But be careful - the naan and the rice pile on calories fast. Then again, if you're going to do Indian food, you really need to do it right. It's your call.