- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cloves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- ¼ cup crushed garlic
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans chopped or crushed tomato, undrained
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 4 tsp smoked paprika (regular works fine but smoked adds more body)
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (spicyness=3 stars)
- 1 tsp salt, to taste
- 2 cups almond milk
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 or 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans chickpeas
- 1-3 tbsp garam masala (can be found in most grocery stores- there are recipes online too)
- Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped, or ¼ cup dried cilantro
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
Heat the coconut oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-high
flame. Brown chicken cubes in several
batches and set aside in a bowl, leaving juices and leftover oil in pot
Put the cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and
cinnamon into the same hot oil. Stir
once and wait until cloves swell and the bay leaves begin to take on
color. This just takes a few
seconds. Now put in the onions. Stir and fry for 5 minutes or until the
onions begin to brown. Put in garlic and
stir for 30 seconds.
Add the canned tomatoes and juices, and stir well. Then add
the coriander, cumin, cardamom, paprika, cayenne, and the salt.
Stir and fry for a minute or so. Whisk the corn starch into the almond milk
and add slowly to the pot while stirring. Stir constantly until sauce thickens,
no more than 5 minutes. Add chopped spinach. For a thicker and far less healthy
sauce, replace almond milk and corn starch with 1¼ cup whole cream.
Add the chicken cubes and juices, and canned garbanzo beans.
Give the dish a good stir. Simmer until heated through. Add garam masala,
cilantro, and grind some fresh pepper over top of dish just before you serve.
