Chicken with Lemon and Spices

Chicken with Lemon and Spices
from Bon Appetit (October, 1999)

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons sour cream

Mix chicken, lemon juice and turmeric in medium bowl. Marinate 30 minutes.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and cumin seeds and saute until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken with marinade; saute until most of marinade evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices, chili powder, salt and paprika. Cover; simmer 7 minutes. Uncover; simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens, about 8 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Mix in sour cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes: The only thing I did differently in this one was not chop up the chicken since we were serving it as the main dish with bread on the side (the recipe recommends basmati). One of the reasons this was chosen was that my last order from Penzey's included turmeric, which I had never cooked with before (hence, why I purchased it). In any case, this came out just right - with a complex flavor of the blended spices and an undertone of lemon that was a nice accent. And it was delightfully simple to make. Plus, as a one-pot dish, it becomes a candidate for cooking at ACUS.