Chicken in Yellow Curry with Naan

Well, the boxes have come out and we are starting to pack. I forgot how much I disliked packing :) I was spoiled this past year and a half with not having to move! Since high school I moved twice a year for 6 years, so taking a year off was really nice, but this will probably be our last move for some time (aka- 5+ years). I really look forward to being settled. I have not packed the kitchen yet, and probably won't until a couple days before we move. So, I should be still creating meals in the kitchen. Hopefully I have the energy between cleaning, packing, and moving!


Last night I made an Indian dish. It was a really delicious meal! I wasn't sure what to expect considering I have never made a real curry sauce or naan from scratch. Both, however, turned out great. The chicken itself did not take much time. The naan was a different story. Although it is a relatively easy bread, it needs 2 full risings. That makes the total time to make the bread about 2 hours (1.5 hours of waiting). Frying the dough on a frying pan, however, made the frying of the bread quicker than a traditional baking time. So I guess it's a give and a take :)


Chicken in Yellow Curry:
INGREDIENTS
1 tsp olive oil
1 c onion, diced
2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp garam masala (see my recipe below)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 c red wine
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 c chicken broth


Garam Masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp bay leaves, crumbled
1/8 tsp cloves


DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat olive oil in Wok over medium heat and stir in onion. Cook onion until soft and golden brown. Remove onion from Wok.
2. Increase heat to medium-high. Season chicken with garam masala and curry powder (lightly seasoned is best!). Place chicken in Wok and brown while stirring (7 mins). Add red wine and red wine vinegar and simmer for 1 min. Stir in prepared onion and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer 10 mins.


Naan
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 c warm water
1/4 c sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp salt
4.5 c bread flour
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c melted butter


DIRECTIONS
1.     In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2.     Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3.     During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4.     At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.