Curry Chicken & Chickpea Stew – Recipe!

Wintertime is definitely here and with that are cold evenings that bring out my comfort food cravings.  Comfort Food sometimes gets a bad rap for being unhealthy food, but that’s not the case when I’m hankering for something warm, soothing and downright delicious.  Soups and stews are the first thing to come to mind when seeking something satisfying and they both tend to be rather simple to make in a short amount of time.

Chicken stews can be any combination of ingredients, but adding a touch of curry to the mix turns a one-pot meal into something much more special.  Curry powder is a blend of several spices and it does make a huge difference in the outcome of a dish.  I recommend to seek out the best you can find, I have a few different blends that I buy from different sources, one being Kalustyan’s in NYC.  However, if you buy a blend from your local grocery store, you can always doctor the heat up and add another pinch or two of spice to create a more unique curry flavor.

Chicken thighs are the protein in this recipe, but you can use chicken breasts if you don’t like dark meat, just reduce your cooking time.  Chickpeas added into a tomato-coconut broth add texture and a creaminess that create the best of stews.  I think this whole meal is done within 30 minutes, a great weeknight meal to have up your sleeve, and not bad to serve on the weekends either.

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken thighs, skin-on bone-in

1 small white onion, diced

1 tablespoon curry powder

pinch of red pepper flakes

pinch of cinnamon

1 cup coconut milk

14 ounces diced tomatoes

14 ounces canned chickpeas, drained

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

cooked brown rice, optional

vegetable oil

salt & pepper

(Serves 4-6)

To Prepare:

1. In a large skillet of Dutch oven, add 2 teaspoons oil and place pan over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.  Add chicken skin-side-down into skillet and cook for 4 minutes.  Flip over and cook other side for 4 minutes, remove and place on plate.
2. Drain most of chicken grease from pan and turn heat to medium.  Add onion and saute for 3 minutes.  Add curry, red pepper, cinnamon, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, stir.  Cook for 2 minutes and add coconut milk and tomatoes, stir.
3. Place chicken back into pan and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer for 8 minutes and add chickpeas.  Stir gently to incorporate chickpeas into sauce.  Continue to cook for 4 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and sprinkle cilantro over top.  Ladle into bowls over hot rice.  Enjoy!