Chicken with Dried Fruit
Chicken with Dried Fruit is a stew (technically, it’s a braise) cooked with an abundance of spice. If there is a problem with it, it is that it is ridiculously oily. I skimmed off nearly all of the oil, and it didn’t seem to detract from the dish at all.
Makes 4 servings
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon salt (divided)
Black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 tablespoons minced cilantro
3 ½ pounds chicken pieces (preferably thighs, but all parts will do)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 cardamom pods
6 whole cloves
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
2 ½ tablespoons blanched slivered almonds
2 ½ tablespoons golden raisins
Put yogurt in a bowl and beat it lightly until smooth and creamy. Add ½ teaspoon of the salt, some black pepper, the cumin, coriander, cayenne and cilantro. Mix.
Season chicken pieces on both sides with salt and pepper, using remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
Heat oil in a wide, preferably nonstick pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. Stir once and add as many chicken pieces as pan will hold easily in a single layer. Brown chicken on both sides and set aside in a large bowl. Brown all the chicken this way and remove to the bowl.
Into same hot oil, add almonds and raisins. Stir quickly. Almonds should turn golden, and raisins should plump up — this should happen very fast. Put chicken and its accumulated juices back into pan. Add seasoned yogurt. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer gently 20 minutes (longer if pieces of chicken are large), stirring once or twice. Remove cover, turn heat up a bit, and reduce sauce until it is thick and just clings to chicken pieces, turning chicken pieces over gently as you do so. Remove large whole spices before serving with rice.
Per serving: 682 calories, 10g carbohydrate, 50g protein, 49g fat (12g saturated), 286mg cholesterol, 789mg sodium, 2g fiber.