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This Dishoom Chicken Ruby Curry knockoff is so incredibly easy to make and very flavorful for a curry without coconut milk. Spices like cinnamon and garam masala are combined to make a flavorful tomato curry sauce. It’s an easy and healthy weeknight meal.
Table of Contents
Dishoom’s Chicken Ruby
When I visited London around Christmas, everyone recommended I try Indian food, and more specifically, a place called Dishoom. Apparently going late at night is key to not having to wait forever for this popular restaurant. My friend and I slid into a back corner table and took a look at the menu, settling on a few items that seemed very popular. One of these was the chicken ruby. It was so cozy, flavorful, and downright delicious. I couldn’t wait to try it at home. The only issue? Every recipe required an extensive cooking time and lots of steps. I knew I had to make this recipe accessible for the average home cook.
You’ll love this recipe because:
- It’s a million times easier and faster than any other recipe you’ll see online. No marinating, no grilling, you just need one pan.
- It requires basic ingredients – pre-ground spices and chicken breast. (No crushing coriander seeds here.)
- It only takes 30 minutes to make!! Great for weeknights.
- It stores and freezes well, and the flavors get better with time.
I’m sure some die-hard fans will disagree this tastes like the original, which is fine. It’s not meant to be a total replacement of the original dish, but more of an easy and fast version that you don’t need a full day to make.
Ingredients
Boneless, skinless chicken breast – I’ve also used chicken thighs before, which definitely have much more flavor, but I found I preferred the texture of chicken breast. It’s truly up to you. Both will work in this recipe.
Spices – This recipe does require quite a few different spices that you may not have on hand, like cardamom, garam masala, and bay leaves.
Garam masala is a mixture of warm spices that we’re also adding here like cinnamon, cardamom, and cumin. It’s often found in Indian cooking. Many grocery stores carry it – Whole Foods in particular. But you can also find it on amazon if your local store does not. See below for how to reuse some of these spices!
Olive oil or Ghee – Ghee is just clarified butter with the milk solids removed. Those who are sensitive to dairy may find themselves able to tolerate ghee. You can find it at most grocery stores, like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. It’s also available on Amazon.
Heavy Cream – This is totally optional and I often leave it out for dairy free, but adding it makes it more like the original dish.
Shallots, Ginger, and Garlic – I prefer to use fresh for this recipe. However, sometimes I’ll use 1 teaspoon dried ginger for the tablespoon of fresh if I don’t have it on hand.
Strained Tomatoes – This is just thick blended tomatoes, like a sauce without the spices. I like to use pomi brand.
How to Make
To make this chicken ruby recipe, you just have a few easy steps:
- Start by preparing your spices and measuring liquids. There are quite a few spices in this dish, so combining them in one large dish that you can add at the same time makes this easier to prepare.
- Heat oil or ghee in a large pan and then add the garlic and shallot, sautéing over medium heat for a minute until softened and fragrant. Add the spices and stir till fragrant, about 1 minute. Then mix in the tomato paste.
- Mix in the strained tomatoes, broth, honey, and chopped chicken, and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- If using cream, stir in for the last 5 minutes. Serve warm. That’s IT!
Recipe Tips
- There’s nothing more frustrating than buying spices you won’t use again! Here are some ways to use the extras. The bay leaves are great to add to soups, like this chicken and brown rice soup, or chicken stock. I also love the flavor and sometimes add a leaf to my sparkling water along with a sprig of fresh rosemary and cucumber for an herbal mocktail. You can use the cardamom again in golden milk lattes, which I have a recipe for in my new cookbook. Garam masala is wonderful in other Indian-inspired dishes and curries, as well as tossed with warm, buttered popcorn.
- I recommend serving this with rice, cauliflower rice, or naan for dipping. Pita will work too. Trader Joe’s has a great frozen naan or Malabari Paratha.
- To reheat, place in a covered pot and warm over medium low till cooked through.
- To store, cover and place in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze in a large ziplock bag. Defrost by placing the bag in warm water.
Vegan & Vegetarian Options
The original recipe is made with chicken, however the real star of this whole dish is the sauce. It’s kinda soupy and you’ll want to soak it up with some pita or naan bread.
For anyone trying to make this vegetarian or vegan, adding chickpeas would be a wonderful substitute for meat, or you could put the sauce on top of rice or quinoa.
I often make this recipe dairy free by using olive oil and leaving out the cream. This recipe is naturally gluten free.
Easy Chicken Recipes
For more easy recipes like this Ruby Chicken, check out these posts.
Chicken
Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
Recipes
Dijon Chicken and Wild Rice Skillet
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Easy Chicken Ruby Curry (Dishoom Inspired)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, * I use Diamond Brand which is less salty than Morton's, adjust accordingly
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cups strained tomatoes, *I used Pomi brand
- 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (OPTIONAL)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cumin kosher salt and garam masala. In a large, deep saucepan, melt ghee (butter or oil is ok too) over medium heat. Add chopped shallots, minced garlic and ginger and continue to stir as they soften. Add the small bowl of spices and stir in the pan until nice and fragrant, about a minute. Mix in the tomato paste and cook another minute or two, until it darkens a little bit.
- Add the 2 cups of strained tomatoes along with 1/2 cup broth and the honey, bring to a mild simmer over medium-low. Add the chopped chicken, if using, and simmer for about 20 minutes until cooked through. I recommend a splatter screen to avoid any tomato messes.
- The last 5 minutes, stir heavy cream if using, and continue to simmer over medium heat to thicken everything up. Check to make sure the chicken is cooked through and everything is seasoned the way you like it. Serve with pita or naan bread, or over brown rice.
Notes
- To make this vegetarian, leave out the chicken and either add chickpeas or simply serve the sauce on top of rice or quinoa.
- Trader Joe’s has frozen naan or Malabari Paratha for serving.
- I often add an extra teaspoon of garam masala as I love the flavor, but this version appears to be the most popular with the crowd. Taste and adjust the seasonings after simmering. Flavors will get stronger the next day (if there are leftovers), but are also great if you consume the day of.
- Omit the cream for dairy free. Adding the cream makes it more like the original Dishoom recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published January 14, 2020 and was updated on September 27, 2021 to include updated pictures, recipe tips, and improved navigation.
Always a tasty favorite. Very flavorful over white or brown rice.
Really delicious! Even without the cream which I can’t tolerate. Thanks for your recipes, Alicia. They are helping me to adjust to the HYH diet without food feeling dull and boring.
Thank you, Riona! I love this recipe too.
My 13 month old is in the thick of her picky/food throwing faze, and she had seconds! We liked it too. 10/10 recommend!
Haha thank you, Jessica. You give me hope to try this with mine too.