Ursula Hirao’s request made me laugh out loud. (Is that redundant? Can you laugh silently?) Anyway, she is after a recipe for a chicken curry with tomatoes that she used to make for her family in the ’80s, until "my husband found out it had apples in it and wouldn’t eat it after that."

Husbands.

Hirao described a simple recipe with only about five ingredients that she would now like to make for her grandson. It used whole chicken thighs, canned tomato sauce and Red or Golden Delicious apples. Everything was simmered on the stove.

The U.S. Apple Association (usapple.org) offered a place to start, a tomato-apple-chicken curry recipe, but with 15 ingredients. Removing the extraneous ingredients that Hirao didn’t use brought the total down to six main ones, plus vegetable oil. Other variations were also in order: The apple folks used chicken breasts, for example, and diced tomatoes.

It all worked out. This recipe makes a very good basic sauce, a little tangy from the tomatoes, sweet from the apples and mellow from the mild curry flavor (I used a basic McCormick powder, figuring that’s what would have been easy to find in the ’80s). Delicious over rice.

The apple pieces look a little like potatoes, but if you need to hide them from, say, your husband, cut them smaller and they could be mistaken for onions.

After the recipe I’ve listed some variations for dressing up the dish. This easily could become a weeknight go-to recipe — add veggies and vary the seasonings to keep things interesting. Try different types of apples, too. I used a Fuji, but a Granny Smith would give the dish a nice tart edge.

CHICKEN-TOMATO CURRY WITH APPLES

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 2-1/2 pounds
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup chicken broth
8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups chopped apples (about 1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Remove to plate.

Add onions to skillet and stir until softened. Sprinkle with curry powder. Add chicken broth and deglaze skillet (scrape bottom of pan to release any browned bits). Add tomato sauce and apples. Let simmer about 5 minutes, adding 1/4 cup water if sauce seems too dry. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings with a little salt or more curry powder if needed. Return chicken to pan, scooping sauce over pieces. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, until cooked through. Serves 5.

Approximate nutritional analysis (not including salt to taste): 300 calories, 13 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 165 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 34 g protein

KICK IT UP

» Boost sauce: Replace all or part of the chicken broth with apple juice or coconut milk. Once chicken is cooked, remove pieces and thicken sauce in pan: Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water and stir into sauce. Simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened. Chicken may be sliced and returned to pan for easier serving.

» Boost seasonings: Add 3 garlic cloves, minced, with onions. Add fresh herbs (minced rosemary and basil work well) along with curry powder. Add 1-2 teaspoons chili pepper flakes for added heat.

» Boost vegetable quotient: Stir in up to 2 cups sliced mushrooms, diced bell peppers or fresh cherry tomatoes after the onions are softened. To add sweetness, add a handful of raisins with apples.

———

Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S. Write “By Request,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or email bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.