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Cardamom-Lime Chicken and White Beans
Our inspiration for this hearty braise was the chive and white bean braise from “Cooking in Iran” by Najmieh Batmanglij. Our simplifications involved swapping canned white beans for dried and substituting easy-to-find ingredients for more traditional ones (such fresh lime zest for dried Persian limes). And yes, four bunches of scallions is correct—they infuse every bit of the braise with allium pungency while also lending it color. The scallions do need to be thinly sliced, but they don't have to be perfectly uniform. And remember to keep the green parts separate from the white parts, as they're added at different times. Serve the stew with rice, roasted potatoes or warmed flatbread.
4
Servings
Don't forget to save the liquid when draining the beans. It adds both body and flavor to the dish. If you do accidentally discard it, simply increase the chicken broth to 2⅓ cups. The braising liquid will be thinner, but the dish will still be tasty.
30 minutes
Ingredients
-
1½
pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
-
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions
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01Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a large pot over medium-high, melt the butter. Add the chicken and scallion whites, then cook, stirring once or twice, until both the chicken and scallions begin to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garam masala, cardamom, turmeric, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
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GET DIGITAL & PRINTI made this for dinner tonight and this was a hit! Comes together quickly and has bright, rich, sultry flavors. I’m even more excited for tomorrow’s leftovers as I think the flavors will continue to deepen. I made it exactly according to the recipe, and it’s perfect as is; doesn’t need the addition of anything. I’m going to make some home made flat bread (naan) to serve alongside it tomorrow.
Hi Rachel -
Since we developed this recipe as an easy-to-make Tuesday Night Dinner, we didn't test the final recipe with dried limes, which most readers wouldn't be able to find, so we can't offer a substitution amount. Feel free to experiment and let us know how it works out!
Best,
The Milk Street Team
I made this last night and it was outstanding! It will become a regular in our house. I'm thinking it could easily be made vegetarian by using firm tofu and vegetable broth in place of the chicken/chicken broth, which only matters to my vegetarian guests, but nice to be able to make this for them. I served it with roasted potatoes but the dish really didn't need them; next time I'll make garlic bread to mop up the sauce.
I made this for dinner last night and it was excellent. It is full flavored and has the depth that is often missing in middle eastern recipes online. It will be my new comfort food and is easy to make.