Chicken and Apricot Masala

The spices have to be bloomed in oil or your they are gritty. The onions have to be caramelized to add depth to the dish. Fewer tomatoes makes it less sweet.
2 cups of water is too much liquid.

This recipe has possibilities. Next time I will use less apricots (too sweet) and not soak them, just sliver them and add them to the pan. The soaked ones basically dissolved, and I think I would prefer actual fruit pieces.

I the spice mix is too mild and subtle for me; I would double them next time, along with increasing the garlic and ginger. I also used canned chopped tomatoes rather than fresh, and added a small amount of heavy cream at the end--about 3 tablespoons. I would do this again.

My first reaction to all the complaints of "blandness" and "too much liquid": Is it possible that the sauce was not cooked down (reduced) enough during cooking? Step 4 even hints at preventing this: during last part of cooking, remove the lid (which allows more liquid to cook away). This is a highly spiced dish and no way should it taste bland. You could also remove the chicken when its fully cooked and boil down the sauce until thick and flavorful enough to suit your taste.

Why dilute tomato paste, typically used as a thickener? Instead, just use a good quality 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes with juice.

Interestingly, "Santa" gave me some dried apricots from the Indian grocery this year: tiny, rock-hard - I'm guessing that's what's really intended. Followed many suggestions: 3x the ginger, same amount of spices. With cinnamon stick in the pan, browned the chicken in the oil first, removed it, then bloomed the spice mixture in the drippings, then added onions. Chicken back in, 24 oz can diced tomatoes w/juices, apricots w/liquid, a few TB heavy cream. Very good!

I too have been making this for years. It's a favorite. I pretty much follow the recipe as is with the exception that I cut the apricots in half. More pleasant to eat the smaller pieces.

I've been making this for years and was surprised to read some of the less enthusiastic comments - it always gets raves. Unlike some others, I think it's important to soak the apricots for as long as possible - by the time it's cooked, they melt in your mouth. It's true that there is a lot of liquid, but we like it with rice, Israeli cous cous, or crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

I eliminated the tomatoes, since ripe ones in the winter are hothouse & cardboard. I just used a 28 oz diced tomatoes with juice, eliminated tomato paste & water. Received rave reviews at my house!

I agree about the need for cilantro: it brightens the finish. Incidentally, this freezes really well.

Of course I couldn't help making some modifications: I doubled the spices, garlic, ginger. I used whole cumin and coriander seeds. I roasted those seeds first, and then ground everything in a mortar. I withheld half the spice mixture and added it at the end. I didn't soak the apricots, but chopped them and added them 10 minutes before the end. I used a 28 oz can of tomatoes, instead of fresh tomatoes and tomato paste. I only added a cup of water. The result was excellent.

I loved this dish. We doubled the spices and put potatoes and carrots in to soak the liquid and make it a one pot meal. It was great!

Typically, it seems that chicken in Indian curry-like dishes is not browned— just left to simmer in the sauce "until done". Agreeing with others, I prefer to brown it.

Based on all of the suggested changes to the recipe and my just cooked version, this is a less than workable recipe. Sadly I have run into this with other recipes from this author. ( I should have known better )

I am right now now trying to rescue 3 pounds of thigh meat and 8 ounces of apricots.........

The idea is quite good, but the recipe is not.

Forgot to say I used canned Italian tomatoes rather the fresh and used the sauce from them instead of tomato paste and water.

Read your previous notes...I tripled the spices. Didn't soak the apricots, just sliced them and added them right into the pot. Added 3 tablespoons of heavy cream at the end. Sprinkled with slivered blanched almonds for serving.

Turned out fantastic...highly recommend!