Indian-Spiced Chicken with Chickpeas and Spinach

By Thom7747

Golden and fragrant, this dish is a meal on its own, or it can be served with steamed basmati rice or warm flatbread.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 6 bone-in chicken legs (thigh and drumstick), skin removed
• kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 cups (or more) low-sodium chicken broth
• 5 ounces baby spinach (about 8 lightly packed cups)
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 325°F. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt. Working in batches, cook chicken, reducing heat as needed to prevent over-browning, until golden brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Add butter and onions to drippings in pot; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and golden brown, 10-15 minutes.

Stir in garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chickpeas and 2 cups broth. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Add more broth if needed to cover chicken about three-fourths of the way up. Bring to a simmer. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Braise chicken until fork-tender, 45-55 minutes. Let cool slightly, then chill, uncovered, until cold. Cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before continuing.

Using tongs and a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Add spinach to pot, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand until spinach is wilted, 5-7 minutes.

Stir yogurt into cooking liquid. Season with salt. Return chicken to pot. Warm over low heat (do not boil or yogurt may curdle).

Transfer chicken to a large deep platter. Pour spinach and chickpea sauce over. Sprinkle with cilantro.