Chicken Vindaloo

I got this recipe from my mom (thanks!). She likes making it with shrimp, but I already had some chicken in the fridge so I decided to use that instead. This isn't quite what I would consider traditional vindaloo, but it still has really good flavor. I think I am now on a mission to find a great vindaloo recipe that I can make at home, so that I don't have to go out for it. If you would like more spice, something vindaloos are famous for, add more of the ground red pepper. I doubled it from what my mom used and I still don't think it was spicy enough, but I like my Indian food very spicy. Note that ground red pepper is different from cayenne, so make sure you get the right one. I have made that mistake before and I was not happy with the end result. I have also been playing around with my photography set up and I am pretty happy with how these pictures came out.

Chicken Vindaloo

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 45 mins

Ingredients
2 T fresh minced ginger, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 T red wine vinegar
2 T oil, divided
1.5 cups onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T of golden raisins, chopped (optional)
1.5 cups chicken broth, divided
1 T corn starch
2 large chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Combine first 10 ingredients and set aside. Heat 2 medium skillets and put 1 T of oil in each. Place onions in one and salt and pepper the chicken and place in the other pan. Cook onions until they are translucent about 10 mins. Brown the chicken and remove from heat, it will not be completely done at this point.
Add garlic to the onions and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the spice mix and cook for another minute. Add 1.25 cup of chicken broth and raisins, if you would like. Simmer this mixture for about 5 minutes. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and quarter cup of chicken broth (i.e. mix the cornstarch and chicken stock very well so there are no clumps). Add the slurry to the onion mixture and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add the chicken to the onion mixture and cook for another 10 minutes or until the chicken is done. Serve with naan or rice.