Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 chicken thighs, skinless bone-in
- ½ cup frozen or fresh peas
- 1 cup carrot
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- salt for taste
- water, to cover the ingredients in the pot
Spices
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon clove powder
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander, finely chopped
- ¼ cup of almond flakes
Preparation
- Combine the spices in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Pat dry the chicken thighs, then season with salt, lemon zest and half the amount of the spice blend. Put the marinated chicken aside and start getting the vegetables ready.
- In a Dutch oven or a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sear them until they turn golden brown for 6 minutes on each side. Once browned, transfer the chicken to another plate.
- In the same pot, add the onion and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Stir in the remaining spice mixture and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in water to cover the bottom of the pot. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Return the chicken to the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the peas and carrots and continue to cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 10–15 more minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Garnish with chopped coriander and almond flakes before serving.
Tips
- If you want to thicken the sauce, you can add corn flour slurry (1 tbsp corn starch and 2 tbsps water) towards the end of cooking, before adding lemon juice. After adding the slurry cook for 5–6 minutes for the sauce to thicken.
- You can also use vegetables like cauliflower, green peppers and zucchini.
- Store the left-over tagine in the refrigerator for 2–3 days.
- Swap the almonds with your favourite nuts.
- Complement the chicken tagine with a serving of pearl couscous.