Recipe: Three Spice Chicken with Potatoes (Indian)

THREE SPICE CHICKEN WITH POTATOES

"Coriander and cardamom seeds are highly aromatic and the heat comes from the peppercorns. The combination of the three is dynamic."

3 tablespoons (45 mL) oil
12 chicken thighs, skinned and each cut in half with bone or 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons (45 mL) coriander seeds, roasted and powdered*
1/3 cup (75 mL) cardamom seeds, coarsely pounded**
1 tablespoon (15 mL) black peppercorns, coarsely pounded
Salt to taste
6 to 8 medium potatoes peeled, halved and parboiled
Cherry tomatoes (for garnish)

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Wipe chicken dry and add to oil.

Mix coriander powder, cardamom seeds, peppercorns and salt. Sprinkle evenly on top of chicken. Cover and cook on medium heat, shaking pan occasionally to prevent sticking. Do not stir.

When all the moisture is absorbed, add potatoes. Brown chicken and potatoes gently. If chicken is not cooked, add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Cover and cook on low heat until tender.

TO SERVE:
Mound on platter and garnish with halved cherry tomatoes. Serve with an Indian bread.

*To roast coriander seeds: Place seeds in a heavy skillet on medium heat. Roast about 3 to 4 minutes, shaking pan periodically to roll seeds so they brown evenly. Powder in a spice grinder.

**A quick way to seed cardamoms is to put the whole pods into a spice grinder or blender jar. With a few on/off pulse motions the skins will come loose. Remove and discard skins.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Easy Indian Cooking by Suneeta Vaswani