Spicy Lutein

I love Indian food and I love one-pot veggie-protein entrees. Whatever reduces the number of pots on my stove is a good thing. One favorite easy entrée is Indian chicken with spinach and yogurt which I serve with brown rice. While this dish is spicy, it’s more spicy flavorful than spicy hot. It’s the kind of dish that 5 year-old Simon of Ginger Carrot fame may call spicy but not so spicy he couldn’t eat it.

For vegetarians and vegans, feel free to make the dish without the chicken and even without the yogurt and just reduce the cooking time to about 20 minutes. It still makes a tasty spinach dish that will go along well with rice and dal (Indian lentils such as this tasty version).

This recipe is adapted From Bengal to Punjab: The Cuisines of India by Smita Chandra.


Indian Chicken with Spinach and Yogurt
Serves 4

1 T canola oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1-inch stick cinnamon
3 cloves garlic crushed or 1 ½ tsp garlic paste
¾ -inch fresh ginger grated or 1 ½ tsp ginger paste
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne powder
1/8 tsp cardamom powder
Pinch cloves
½ cup whole milk plain yogurt
20 ounces (2 packets) frozen spinach, defrosted and well drained
1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Heat the canola oil in a large, wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cinnamon stick and stir for a couple of seconds. Add the garlic and ginger, stir for another 30 seconds or so. Add the onion and sauté until lightly brown, about five minutes. Add the coriander, turmeric, cayenne, cardamom, and cloves. Sauté for another minute and then add the yogurt, stirring constantly. Cook for another minute and then add the spinach, stirring to combine everything together for another minute. Add the chicken and mix together. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer the dish for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover after 40 minutes. If there is still a lot of liquid, turn the heat on high to boil some of the liquid away or skim it off. Remove the cinnamon stick and the dish is now ready to serve. The flavor of this dish improves on the second day.

Nutritional Info (per serving): 313 calories, 9g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 38g protein, 11g fat, 3g saturated fat, 145mg cholesterol, 380mg sodium

Notes:

• Make sure you squeeze out as much of the water as you can from spinach or the dish will be too watery.
  
• Odd sized measuring spoons are useful for measuring odd amounts like 1/8 tsp and a pinch.
  
• Garlic paste can be purchased at most supermarkets. Ginger paste can be purchased at Indian speciality stores like Patel Brothers, 2610 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL. I use the Swad brand pastes.
  
• I don’t use salt in this recipe since I don’t think it needs it but salt to taste if you feel the need.
  
• Unless a lot of fluid has accumulated, like with whole chickens, I don’t rinse chicken prior to cooking. Since the bacteria that I’m worried about will be killed during the cooking process, all I would be doing is spreading bacteria to my kitchen sink.