Braised Chicken Thighs in Curried Rice
Braised Chicken Thighs with Curried Rice
If you do not want to invest much time in the kitchen but you feel like something warm and filling, this one-pot dish is a winner. When choosing a curry I find the eastern versions are a bit hotter than the versions we typically find in the grocery store which tend to be a bit sweeter. It is up to you how much heat you want to use. This version was clearly spicy but, for me, not overly so.
- 4 large chicken thighs, or 6 medium to small thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 heaping tablespoons freshly diced ginger
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1, 4 oz can diced green chiles
- 1 cup minced dried apricots
- 1 large handful of chopped fresh cilantro
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high heat in a dutch oven or similar pot that can be placed, covered in the oven. Place the four in a food storage bag and add the chicken pieces. Toss to lightly coat the chicken with flour. Add the chicken to the dutch oven skin side down first and brown on both sides. This should take about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and saute until soft and translucent for about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, the ginger, the curry powder, the cumin, and the red pepper flakes. Allow the spices to bloom and become fragrant, cooking for about 2 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium high, stir in the broth the apricots. the green chiles and the rice. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the chicken pieces to the top of the broth mixture. Cover the pot and bake for 20 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro to the top of the chicken and rice. Place back in the over for about 5 to ten minutes more until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Remove the chicken pieces and taste the rice mixture. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the chicken over the rice or place the rice next to the chicken.