INDIAN-SPICED CHICKEN WITH CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH

Indian-Spiced Chicken with Chickpeas and Spinach image

A delicious Indian chicken and chickpeas recipe, with spinach. This dish is pleasantly spiced and lightly creamy with yogurt.

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 bone-in/skin-on chicken legs (or 6 thighs/3 breasts)
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion (thinly sliced)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 Tbsp. grated peeled ginger
2 tsp. coriander
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 15 oz. can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
2 cups chicken broth
6-8 cups lightly packed baby spinach
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or flat-leafed parsley (roughly chopped)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325° F. with rack in lower 1/3 of oven.
Pan chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in an oven-safe pan (with a lid, such as a Dutch oven) on stove-top over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on both sides until golden and remove to a plate.
Add butter and onions to pan (don't remove drippings unless excessive). Cook, stirring regularly, until onions are soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. (Don't rush browning the onions, as cooking them to golden adds great flavour to the dish). Stir in garlic, ginger and spices. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Stir in chickpeas and 2 cups of broth. Return chicken to pan and any accumulated juices. Liquid should cover chicken by about 2/3. If not, add a bit more broth to top up. Bring liquid to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the pre-heated oven. Cook until chicken is fork-tender, about 45 minutes, depending on the cut of chicken you used.
Remove from oven and transfer chicken to a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm. To hot liquid in pot, add spinach. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Stir in yogurt. Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste. (If sauce is not as thick as you'd like, mix a bit of the sauce with a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch to make a paste. Add a bit at a time to the warm sauce and stir until desired thickness). Return chicken to pot and warm over low heat (do not boil or yogurt may curdle).
Transfer chicken to a serving platter and pour spinach and chickpea sauce over. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley.