Chicken with Spinach
Here is another of my party favorites, as it is quite easy to prepare and may be done ahead of time and reheated. I do all the chopping in a food processor, which takes just a few minutes. You may, if you prefer, chop the onions by hand and grate the ginger finely and put the garlic through a garlic press. The results will be the same. I have used fresh spinach only because I grow so much of it; you may use frozen chopped spinach instead. For a dinner, I might serve this with Rice Pilaf with Almonds and Raisins, Eggplants in a North-South Sauce, and a yogurt relish.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Spread the chicken out in a single layer and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt and lots of black pepper on both sides.
Step 2
Put the onions, ginger, garlic, paprika, and cayenne into a food processor and, using a fast start-and-stop method, chop all the ingredients as finely as possible, stopping short of making a puree.
Step 3
Put the oil into a wide, heavy pan (a large nonstick sauté pan or well-seasoned wok is ideal) and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cinnamon and cardamom. Let them sizzle for a few seconds. Now put in as much chicken as will fit easily in a single layer, and brown on both sides. Remove to a bowl, leaving the whole spices behind. Brown all the chicken this way in batches. Then put the onion mixture into the pan, turning heat down to medium. Stir and fry for 4–5 minutes, until most of the liquid has dried up. Add the spinach and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and fry another 4–5 minutes. Add the chicken, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water, and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer gently for 25 minutes, turning the chicken pieces over gently a few times. Extra fat may be removed before serving.
