Semi-homemade Chicken Curry

Don't get me wrong. I love cooking from scratch and try to do it whenever possible. But some evenings, when I'm tired or simply not in the mood for a lot of culinary acrobatics, I channel my inner Sandra Lee and make something like this semi-homemade chicken curry. It's quick and tasty, and with all the high-quality curry sauces available at the grocery store, you don't have to sacrifice quality for convenience. I really like the Maya Kaimal brand of curries (her Tamarind Curry is pictured above). All of her products are all natural (no artificial colors or flavors), gluten-free, and vegetarian (and some are vegan). You can easily make the following recipe vegetarian by substituting slices of eggplant for the chicken.

Semi-homemade Chicken Curry (serves 4)

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless organic chicken breast

1 large white onion, roughly chopped

1/4 cup spring onions, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 15-oz container of store-bought curry sauce

1 small can water chestnuts

1 medium can bamboo shoots

2 cups fresh broccoli or other vegetable of your choice

4 cups cooked Basmati rice

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, spring onion, and garlic and sauté until onion turns translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pan, turning after 3 minutes. Add curry sauce, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and broccoli and simmer for 15-20 minutes (shown above), or until chicken is cooked through. Spoon over rice and serve immediately.

Image of curry sauce via Maya Kaimal.