Recipe: Chicken Dopiaza (*)

Editor's note: Have been AWOL. Burying head in sand at work. Light at end of tunnel is near. Hope not mirage. But a girl's still gotta eat, right?

I was flicking through Molly Steven's fantastic book All About Braising and came across something familiar: Chicken Dopiaza. How many times have you seen it on the menu at your local Indian? While Chicken Tikka Masala might be Britain's undisputed national dish (yet absolutely unknown in India, being an English invention), nothing beats the onion-iness of Chicken Dopiaza. If only you knew how easy it was to make, you wouldn't pay money at a restaurant anymore! Plus, I love how healthy it is - orange juice is such a brilliant move! It really works - taste and diet-wise.

RECIPE: CHICKEN DOPIAZA
(Easy factor = *)

8 chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 large onions
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (I substituted 3/4 tbsp ginger powder)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds, ground (I substituted 1 tsp coriander powder)
1 stp ground tumeric (I substituted 1 tsp curry powder)
1/4 tsp cayenne or 1 small dried chilli
salt
2 tbsp clarified butter or vegetable oil

*****
1. Drain yoghurt with cheesecloth for 4-6 hours until a consistency of soft cheese is achieved. Or you may skip this step for a thinner sauce.

2. Thinly slice 1 onion and set aside. Blend the other onion with orange juice, water, ginger, garlic, coriander, tumeric, cayenne and 1 tsp salt until mixture becomes a smooth puree.

3. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towers. Season with salt.

4. Heat butter or oil in a heavy lidded frying pan over medium heat and brown chicken on both sides (6-8 mins). Remove chicken. Pour off all but 1 tbsp of fat.

5. Pour puree into pan (will splatter). Simmer for 5 mins, scraping bottom. Control heat so that not too much liquid evaporates.

6. Add chicken and using tongs, turn until both sides are coated with sauce. Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently and quietly for 20 mins. Turn chicken with tongs and continue braising until chicken is fork tender (40-45 mins total if using chicken legs, 30-35 mins total if using chicken breasts).

7. Remove chicken. Add onion slices to sauce and stir gently. Replace cover, turn off heat, and leave for 5 mins. Then stir in yoghurt.

Serve chicken with sauce spooned over, on rice.

Easy, huh?