Now this recipe comes from my Dad, who’s passion for cooking inspired me to first get into cooking myself. In fact, it is this specific dish that I first learnt to cook. This is a creation of his own, and is my Mum’s personal favourite dish. It combines wonderfully tender chicken with rich spinach sauce, and it works in all the best ways.
This one requires patience to complete, and does taste better when left in the fridge overnight before consumption, but it is well worth it!
Chicken Spinach
Course: DinnerDifficulty: ★★☆☆☆4
servings30
minutes1
hour20
minutesA warm and comforting dish, combining tender chicken and stewed spinach in a wonderfully rich sauce.
Ingredients
1 large onion (diced)
5 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 can chopped tomatoes
200 ml tomato passata
2tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp jerk seasoning
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp paprika
100 ml water
600g spinach (washed and finely chopped)
1 chicken stock cube
4 chicken thighs
1 lemon or orange (juiced)
A bunch of fresh coriander (chopped)
Directions
- Marinade the chicken thighs in the orange or lemon juice, a small amount of olive oil, and some paprika for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- While marinating, fry the diced onions in a small amount of vegetable oil in a deep cast iron pan for around 10 minutes, or until caramelised. Make sure to stir occassionally.
- Mix the sugar and dry spices into the tomato puree. Once the onions are fried, add the minced garlic and cook for around 30 seconds, until aromatic. Add the tomato spice mix and stir into the onions and garlic.
- Add the tinned tomatoes and passata. Bring to a simmer then turn the heat down to low.
- Add the chopped spinach in gradually, stirring and replacing the lid after each addition. The spinach should wilt and start to cook down.
- Add the stock to the spinach and stir. At this point, if the sauce is too thick, add in up to 100 ml water – a little bit goes a long way.
- In a frying pan or skillet on a high heat, add a small amount of vegetable oil and sear the chicken until caramelised around the edges. This should take a couple of minutes on each side.
- Tear the cooked chicken into smaller bitesize pieces and add to the spinach.
- Cook on a low heat for around 20 minutes with the lid on. Stir halfway through.
- Stir through the chopped coriander and serve with warm pitta bread! Alternatively, let it sit in the fridge overnight and enjoy the next day (which is tastier!).
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