Apparently I have posted this a few weeks back… so don’t read any further unless you are just tuning in for the first time. Although my first paragraph has been re-written. Too much time on my hands!! In my cooking classes, I quite often get asked for simple curry recipes.  Quite honestly, a true Indian curry is like a 70 piece orchestra with a perfect blend of a number of instruments playing in perfect harmony.  In a curry, you switch the instruments for spices.  But this is not always achievable in most households as the list of spices can be quite lengthy.  So I’m giving you a band sized version (think Beatles or Stones) of perfectly harmonized spices – thoroughly enjoyable but not necessarily with the nuances that are provided by the 17th violinist in the orchestra.  You probably have most of these spices at home. Well maybe not the brown mustard seeds (but I strongly suggest this as a pantry item going forward – Suraj brand). Brown mustard seeds have multiple uses not just in Indian cooking but other cuisines as well. I’ve used the seeds popped in hot olive oil to pour over oven roasted veggies – yum! But back to this recipe, if you like it hotter – like me, you can always add more cayenne or fresh chilies to the recipe. If you like it milder, cut back on the whole chilies and the black pepper (maybe half the quantities).

I’m using boneless/skinless chicken thighs. Yes this is my favorite cut of chicken – always moist and flavorful. But you can use breast, wings, legs, thighs, bone-in – you get the idea. Remember, recipes are just guides. In other words, use what you have, this is pantry cooking. The gist of this recipe is the curry base. That means you could even use this recipe with beef, pork or fish. Of course cooking times will vary depending on the protein used – poultry/beef/pork – longer cooking time, seafood – shorter cooking time.

This is also a bit unusual – I like unusual, as it uses red wine in the curry, pushing the envelope without getting a paper cut!  But it looked so good that I couldn’t resist making it.  In my opinion, the simplicity of the ingredient list made it work. After reaching for the bottle of red wine on my desk, I pulled together the other ingredients from my pantry. There weren’t a lot of ingredients so no wine was spilled from my glass while searching for them. Also, there isn’t a lot to clean up, maybe one bowl and one pot. Make this recipe this week or next. As always – enjoy!

6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
3 – 5 chili peppers – Thai preferably, but anything hot will do
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp. each – garlic and ginger paste (total of 2 tbsp.) – you can also get “garlic/ginger” paste in one jar
1 tsp brown sugar (or more to taste)
½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
¼ cup vinegar, I use pickling vinegar
¼ cup olive or vegetable oil or ghee or coconut oil
1 large onion, small dice
¼ cup red or white wine – drier the better, I had a little left over from the previous night – doesn’t happen often, but even if you have to open up a bottle, is that really a bad thing?! 🙂

Grind the chilies, peppercorns, cumin, mustard, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt and vinegar into a paste.
– use a mini mixer and keep pulsing until it turns pasty or a mortar and pestle (and a lot of elbow grease)
Pour the marinade over the chicken pieces, cover and let marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge
Using a medium sized pot, heat the oil and when hot, add the onion
Cook over medium-high heat for 5 – 7 minutes – stirring to avoid burning
Remove the onions from the pan, set aside
To the same pan, add the marinated chicken (and some oil if needed) in small batches – you want this to take on some color by searing, not stewing
Continue to cook all the chicken, stirring occasionally to avoid burning – add all the chicken back to the pan and stir
Add the onions, wine and any marinade left in the bowl – bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes
If there is too much liquid, uncover and let simmer to reduce in quantity
When desired consistency is reached – taste, adjust seasoning if needed – salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, wine, chilies – and taste again
Serve with basmati rice or naan and veggies