Afghani Chicken with Spinach

A delicious meal at Afghan Kitchen off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington inspired experimentation in the kitchen to recreate the experience. After trolling the internet for an authentic sounding recipe with ingredients found in most major United Kingdom grocery stores, the attempt to cook this unfamiliar dish could commence.

A whole evening was set aside for the endeavor as traditional stews take a significant amount of time to come to fruition. Most stews have humble origins originally being cast aside as food from the peasants, but usually that is where the best dishes come from. A slight change was made to the original recipe to adapt to a modern palate. Instead of using lamb, chicken breast was substituted. The taste of lamb is quite heavy, so chicken breast is suggested so the eater would not feel so heavy after the meal.

The only disappointment with this recipe is that the outcome did not result in a predominately spinach dish, lacking that deep green color expected. Cardamom was also neglected from the dish from haste and no suitable substitute could be found.

Time and patience paid off to excellent results. Overall, this dish was amazing and full of exotic flavor. The texture was thick and somewhat creamy, going well with basmati rice. Next time it is prepared, more crushed red pepper should be added to match the heat of the dish’s color.



Afghani Chicken with Spinach (adapted)
3 Chicken breasts
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 lb onions; diced large
4 tsp Chopped garlic
2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp Ground cardamom
1 tsp crushed red pepper -- or to taste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
32 oz Can tomatoes; drain & chop
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 lb Fresh spinach; wash & drained
1/2 cup yogurt (natural Greek was used)
1 Tbsp Grated lemon peel
Salt; to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts (pan roasted for about 3 minutes)

Sear chicken in olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Remove chicken and cover with foil to set aside. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add turmeric, nutmeg, cardamom, crushed red pepper and cinnamon and sauté the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes more, being careful not to burn the onions or garlic. Add tomatoes and chicken stock and stir. Cut up chicken breasts and add to pan, mixing well.

Cover the dish and bake at 350 F for about 1 hour until the meat is tender. Remove the dish from oven and add spinach, stirring until the spinach is wilted and blended in. Allow stew to cool slightly. Add yogurt, lemon peel and salt to taste. Sprinkle with roasted pine nuts.

**Optional: Extra frozen spinach (thawed) to make spinach more pronounced