GOLDEN GARLIC RICE
Golden Garlicky Rice with Chicken & Spinach (One Pot Meal)
Ingredients for Chicken Marinade
1 pound of skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (I prefer the breast tenderloins)
2 TBS of Olive Oil
1 heaping TBS of plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp each of ginger/garlic powder
1/2 tsp of garam masala
1/4 tsp of ground turmeric
1/2 tsp of red chili powder
1/2 tsp of sweet paprika
1 tsp salt
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Ingredients for Rice Preparation
1 TBS of Olive oil
2 cups of Basmati rice, rinsed to remove dirt and grit
1 medium, chopped onion
2 split green chilis
5-6 cloves of fresh, chopped garlic
2 tsps. of ground coriander
2 tsps. of garam masala
1.5 tsp of ground turmeric
1 tsp of tomato paste
the Juice of half a fresh lemon
2 1/2 tsps. of salt
8 ounces of frozen, cut leaf
1 13 ounce can of coconut milk
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Method:
First, marinate the chicken in a bowl by adding the Greek yogurt (I like the Greek kind because it is thicker and will not splatter as much when searing) and all of the dry spices. Mix well to combine.
Then, take a deep non-stick pot that has an air-tight lid and heat 2 TBS of Olive Oil on medium high heat. Brown or sear both sides of the chicken in the pot so you get a toasty, golden brown color on each side. Adjust the heat accordingly because this should happen pretty quickly—like 1-2 minutes on each side. This seals in most of the juices in the chicken and creates a delicious flavor base for the other ingredients. Once the chicken has been browned, remove the pieces form the pot and reduce the heat to medium or medium low. Add another TBS of oil. We are going to use all of the brown bits or fond that the chicken has left behind to coat the onions along with the split green chilis. Saute the onions for a couple of minutes for them to soften and so that the green chilis can infuse the oil. Then add around 5-6 cloves of fresh, chopped garlic to the pot and cook for another minute or so.
Ok, now add the ground coriander and garam masala along with the ground turmeric—this makes it golden and nutty. Then add the tomato paste and the juice of half a fresh lemon to round out the flavor along with the salt. Stir to combine and add a half a small bag or 8 ounces of frozen, cut leaf spinach. I like the frozen cut leaf kind for ease and because you would need at least twice that quantity for fresh spinach since it cooks down to almost nothing.
Cook this together for a couple of minutes before adding 1 can of coconut milk and enough water to make around 3 ¼ cups of liquid total. You might want to put the coconut milk in a measuring cup and add enough water to get up to that amount. I also like to whisk the coconut milk a bit so that it does not separate and remains creamy.
Now add the chicken back in along with all of the juices. Then put in the rinsed basmati rice and gently stir to combine. Turn the heat up to medium high so that the rice absorbs most of the liquid and then reduce the heat to very low and cover tightly. Cook for another 12-15 minutes before serving.
My golden, garlicky chicken and spinach rice is delicious and nutritious---the turmeric beats inflammation and the spinach is a wonderful, healthy addition to gorgeous, steaming rice and flavorful chicken. Drizzle some good quality melted ghee over the rice before serving to boost the nutritional value and keep the rice moist.
My family loves this dish and I feel really good making this for them. I hope you do too!
Enjoy!!