As the weather gets cooler, don’t you love warm, subtly spicy yet tangy Indian food, especially when it’s served with fluffy naan and basmati rice? Yum! The Indian sauces you find in restaurants, however, are hard to replicate at home. Trust me, I’ve tried. Plus, measuring out the dozens of spices and ingredients mean extra trips to the grocery store and a ton of prep time in the kitchen.
Here’s a sneaky one-pan tomato-based curry recipe my husband and I enjoy when we are craving Indian food but don’t have the time or energy to cook from scratch (or get carry-out). It isn’t very spicy, but you can add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to crank up the heat. The great part about this particular recipe is that it requires very few ingredients (which you likely have already), you don’t need to fret over exact measurements, and you’ll be finished cooking in about 15 minutes.
The finished product, with naan and rice.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
- 4-5 teaspoons curry powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup water
- 15 ounce jar of marinara sauce
- 1 bag of fresh spinach
The goods. Nothing exotic needed!
Steps:
1. Cut boneless skinless chicken into one inch cubes.
2. Brown the chicken pieces in a skillet with 4-5 teaspoons of curry powder and salt and pepper to taste (sprinkle in red pepper flakes if you want something spicier).
3. Stir in a ¼ cup water, 15 ounces of marinara sauce, and approximately 6 ounces of fresh spinach.
4. Let it simmer until spinach wilts and sauce is warmed through; stir occasionally.
5. Simmer for 5-10 minutes (with a lid for a few minutes to wilt spinach, then with lid off to thicken the sauce).
6. Serve with naan (Indian flatbread) and/or rice if you wish (naan can often be found in the bakery or frozen bread section of your grocery store).
Serves 3-4 depending on your appetites!
Voila!