One Pot Indian Chicken with Chickpeas & Spinach

While I have enjoyed my recent foray into the Betty Crocker-less world of baking, I started to miss something about cooking savory dishes. I missed the Oh heck; I think I’ll add a bit of this attitude that has served me well in my experimental dinner escapades. I’m sure great bakers can add a bit of this or that to their cakes and breads, but when I’ve tried most things have (literally) gone flat.

Enter my latest experiment. Braised Indian Chicken with Chickpeas and Spinach.  I admittedly cook a lot of Italian, a decent amount of Latin influenced dishes and I even dabble in Chinese. But I feel that I have yet to reach my potential in Indian inspired dishes. I love the way Indian cuisine melds together so many spices to create the most aromatic and colorful dishes. I am also fascinated with the tradition of the Masala Dabba, a box of spices that are unique to each family, and were often given as a rite of passage to Indian women.  I love the concept of giving the next generation their own set of ingredients or tools. This allows them to feel that they can take the reins and make their own creations in the kitchen as well as carry on family traditions.

I found a recipe similar to this while leafing through a magazine. I was excited by the prospect of combining these spices in just the right way to make something beautiful. However, I did play with the recipe a bit. First, I replaced Canola oil with Grapeseed Oil. I find that is less-greasy and has a higher smoke point to prevent burning. I also decided to use full fat Greek yogurt. I feel that when you buy low-fat dairy products, you often pay the price by finding fake, processed ingredients in your food.

3 final tips: Even though this is a one pot dish, it does have a decent amount of components. Make sure you Mise en Place (prep your ingredients) so you can seamlessly move through the recipe. Buy better quality chicken in a more whole state and save buy breaking it down yourself. I love the chickens at Whole Foods and usually purchase whole chicken, break them down and freeze them in parts. Finally, if you have a local spice merchant, go get yourself a free education. In Chicagoland, we have the Spice House. If you are in Chicago and haven’t checked out the Spice Houses' offerings, you have to! You will have a foodie, sensory overload in the best way possible. Plus you can get smaller bags of spices, if you just want to try something out for fun.  Plus, at these local merchants; as well as at many Whole Foods locations, you can buy small amounts of freshly ground spices to see if you enjoy adding them to your arsenal. Happy Cooking!

                                                                       Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
• 9 bone-in chicken drumsticks (thighs will work as well)
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1 tsp Unsalted Butter
• 2 Yellow Onions – sliced into strips
• 4 Cloves of Garlic - minced
• 3-4  ½ cubes of fresh, peeled Ginger
• 2 tsp Ground Coriander
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp Ground Turmeric
• A pinch to ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper (depending on your heat preferences)
• 1 15-ounce can Chickpeas - rinsed  
• 2 cups (plus a bit extra) Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 bunch of Spinach – thick stems removed
• 1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt (full-fat)
• 2 tsp Cilantro Leaves – minced (optional)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325°. Heat the grapeseed oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. I choose to leave the skin on my chicken, to prevent it from drying out. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lightly coat it with flour. Brown the chicken in batches on all sides. I try not to overcrowd the pot, to better control the cooking. Transfer the finished pieces to the lid of the pot. 

Once the chicken is complete, add the butter the onions to the pot. Turn the heat down to medium and allow the onions to soften, but not brown. This usually takes 5-8 minutes.

Toss in the garlic, ginger pieces, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Once the spices start going in the pot, it is important to constantly stir, to prevent burning. Allow the spices to open up and become fragrant, this only takes a minute. Stir in the chickpeas and add 2 cups broth. 

Return the chicken to the pot. Add more broth if needed to cover chicken about half to three quarters of the way.  Allow the pot to come up to a simmer. Pour the excess juices from the lid into the pot and cover it. Place the pot in the oven for 50 minutes.  

Pull the pot from the oven and remove lid. Transfer you the chicken to a plate and cover with a large lid from a pot or foil. Stir the spinach into the sauce and cover the pot for 3-5 minutes to allow the spinach to cook.

Uncover the pot and add in the yogurt, constantly stirring until it is incorporated. Taste for seasoning. Turn the heat back on low, add allow the sauce to get nice and warm.

Transfer the chicken to plates. Pour the spinach and chickpea sauce over each plate of chicken. If using cilantro, feel free to sprinkle the desired amount on each plate.