Fragrant and delicious, this Syrian style chicken dish is reminiscent of a combination of a tagine and a mild curry. Serve it accompanied with basmati rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or cous cous, add a green salad and top with a dollop of yoghurt.
The recipe is inspired by one from Karen Martini.
Syrian Chicken with Saffron and Ginger
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large brown onion , diced
- 2 tbsp ginger , finely grated
- 3 cloves garlic , crushed
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika , or sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp saffron
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes , optional
- 1 kg organic chicken thighs , diced into 2cm pieces
- 400 grams tinned tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken bone broth
- 1 tbsp honey , or maple syrup or monkfruit
- 1 lemon , juiced
- 1/2 cup coriander leaves , chopped
- 1/2 cup mint leaves , chopped
- 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over a low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook gently until very soft, about 10 minutes, and in the meantime prepare all the other ingredients.
- Stir in the ginger, garlic, thyme and all of the spices.
- Add the chicken and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir over a medium heat until the chicken is coated in the spice mixture.
- Add the tomatoes, bone broth, honey and lemon juice. Simmer the casserole for 30 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, then stir through the coriander and mint leaves.
- Serve with your choice of rice, cous cous or cauliflower rice and a green salad. Top each bowl with a spoon of yoghurt and a few sprigs of herbs.
Notes
- An optional idea would be to add a tin of rinsed chickpeas.
- Leave out the chilli flakes if you do not like spicy food.
- Use coconut yoghurt instead of Greek yoghurt if you are dairy intolerant.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of currants to increase sweetness.
