Another great recipe using my beloved pressure cooker, but no need to run away if you don’t own one, the original method (found here) uses a regular pan. We’ve been so busy lately (by lately I guess I mean a few years in a row…) that shortcuts to get dinner at the table faster are more than welcome. As long as they don’t compromise flavor. No need to worry about it in this recipe, flavorful is one adjective that comes to mind to describe it.
INDIAN SPICED CHICKEN WITH CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH
(adapted from Bon Appetit)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used grape seed oil)
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 + 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1 cups chicken broth
5 ounces baby spinach
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped (optional)
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat or in your pressure cooker. Season chicken with salt. Working in batches, cook chicken, reducing heat as needed to prevent over-browning, until golden brown on all side.Transfer to a plate.
Add butter and shallot to drippings in pot; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until soft and fragrant. Stir in ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chickpeas and chicken broth. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Bring to a simmer. Cover pot and either braise it in a 325 F oven for about 50 minutes, or cook under pressure for 15 minutes.
Quickly release the steam (or place the closed pan under running cold water in the sink), and when the pressure equalizes open the pan. Return the pan to the stove, add the spinach and simmer for a couple of minutes until wilted. Stir yogurt into cooking liquid, mix gently and serve right away, sprinkled with fresh cilantro, if you like.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: I absolutely love the way pressure cooking intensifies the flavors of a sauce, and this one with all the warm spices and the chickpeas turned out quite spectacular indeed. The recipe made so much sauce that even after leftovers were enjoyed at lunch, a little sauce remained. I went at it with a spoon on day 3. Yeah, that good. And, of course the time-saving aspect is hard to be neglected…
This recipe could be served quite simply with a slice of naan bread, but I opted for cauli-rice and some snow peas sautéed in olive oil and a little mint. We ate like the King and the Queen… except for the fact that we did the dishes afterwards. I doubt royalty deals with such mundane issues. Their loss. Doing dishes can be a lot of fun. All you need is the right music in the background…
😉
ONE YEAR AGO: Curry Cardamon Cookies
TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, March 2014
THREE YEARS AGO: Boeuf Bourguignon for a Snowy Evening
FOUR YEARS AGO: Chickpea Salad
FIVE YEARS AGO: Soft Spot for Chevre
SIX YEARS AGO: Roasted Onion and Asiago Cheese Miche
Bewitching Kitchen 
Delicious!!!
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Agreed 100% 😉
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I’m back! I’m going to pull the pressure cooker off the shelf and make this. I love Indian food and chickpeas and spinach are so good for us. It looks fantastic!
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BEST. COMMENT> EVER. TO RECEIVE. So glad to see you here… 😉 can you see me doing a happy dance?
yes, pull that baby out from storage and play with it… so good and convenient!
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That would also work in a covered casserole/baking tin in a combination microwave oven. Looks like a lovely winter dish – going to save it for when our weather gets cooler!
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No doubt this can work in many different settings for cooking – low and slow is always great!
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I can almost smell the deliciousness through the computer! As you probably know I utilize the PC quite often on cookdates for clients, what a awesome time saver! This recipe goes to the front of the “to be tried” list for a specific client that loves Indian flavors! Thanx for sharing!
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I can see how the PC would be super helpful in your business… why take a long time if you can be done quickly and move on to the next dish?
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We make this all the time. I found it years ago in a copy of the NYT weekly mag The Week. We make it with two bone in leg quarters and the whole recipe of sauce. First meal is with naan. The left over sauce goes into the freezer and when we want a quick meal, I roast or grill leg quarters and make basmati rice then reheat the sauce and dump it over the chicken and rice. Agree with you — the flavors are fantastic and it is a big bang meal for the effort involved — a big bang two meals, actually.
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Leg quarters would be perfect too! I rarely buy them, not even sure why… note to self: get leg quarters, grab the pressure cooker, and re-make this dish… love the tip about freezing the sauce for another time
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Lovely! I can imagine that lovely sauce – and it would have been even better by day 3!!! 🙂
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the sauce could be the basis of a fantastic vegetarian concoction – just imagine: roasted cauliflower or cauliflower steaks with this sauce all over… slices of roasted butternut squash…. or simply a nice bowl of quinoa….
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I can easily imagine…yummy!!!!
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I am so glad you have used the ‘bon appetit’ recipe for this fabulous spiced dish . . . many of the others simply use curry powder and that is ‘not on’ with me 🙂 ! Personally I use a bit more chillies etc to make it more or less into a curry, but it is a lovely dish whichever that I oft just serve with flatbreads . . . rice bran oil usually for me . . . and cooking it ‘long’ 😀 !!
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I sometimes like to add more pepper but Phil prefers a milder dish, so I refrain from using too liberal a hand with spices. Rice bran oil.. hummmm now I am intrigued!
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This sounds like a wonderful dish, Sally. I’ve been on an Indian foods kick lately and this will do rather nicely. I’ve not gotten a pressure cooker, though. I rarely need to have my dinner on the table quick enough to justify pulling out the cooker. I’m sure, though, that if I still worked, I’d have a pressure cooker on my stove permanently. It sure would come in handy.
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Don’t let the lack of PC stop you…. 😉 I am sure you will love this recipe, the flavors are perfect together, and you have grains, veggies, protein… all good!
of course, if you eat a focaccia with it, you can call it fusion cuisine. And invite me over! 😉
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The spice combination is a winner. I’m definitely adding this to my chicken recipe file. And, I will try it in my pressure cooker, they still scare me.
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don’t be scared… I promise you it will all be fine! 😉 Yes, the combination of spices is a real winner, I hope you try it and love it
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