Spice Trade Chicken with Cauliflower, Cashews and Pistachios
:
Serving Size:
4
Cooking Time:
01:00:00
Difficulty:
Easy
Measurements:
Imperial (US)
My latest obsession is with labneh (labne), a very thick yogurt sometimes called kefir cheese. It is low in calories, but rich and creamy. I find it very versatile as a smear alongside humous, as a dip mixed with herbs and as a dollop on everything. Look for it in grocery stores near kefir or sour cream products.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 6 chicken thighs, bone in with skin or not
- 1 medium sized yellow onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground chili or Aleppo pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1/4 cup toasted cashews
- 1/4 cup toasted pistachios
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup labne
Directions
Mince the garlic and dice the onions.
In a large, deep, heavy pan, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken skin side down and brown well. Then flip and brown the other side. Remove to a plate.
Turn heat down to medium. Add the onions and garlic.
Cook the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until they are light brown.
Combine all the spices in a small bowl, then add to pan and stir to coat. Add chicken stock and scrape up all bits of meat and spices to combine.
Return the chicken to the pan, coating the chicken on all sides with the sauce and leaving chicken with skin side up.
Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, partially covered.
While the chicken is cooking, cook the cauliflower. Heat a frying pan over medium-high, add the 2 Tbl. olive oil and the florets. Cook, stirring frequently, so that florets brown but do not burn. Keep cooking and stirring until they are almost cooked, leaving them a little crunchy – about 8 minutes. Set aside off heat.
When chicken is done, add the cauliflower and gently stir into the sauce. Cover and heat for 5 minutes.
Chop the nuts and cilantro together on a board until a fine dice (see the photo).
Serve the chicken in a wide soup bowl or deep plate alongside jasmine or basmati rice.
Top with a little labne and a generous amount of the chopped nut mixture (about 2 tbl.).
Recipe by Jane O’Riordan