I made this a couple of weeks ago, with a simple side of grape tomatoes. It’s pretty easy and very flavorful. It’s got a little zip but isn’t really spicy. Of course, that depends partly on your jalapeño. Leave some of the membranes in for more heat if you like. You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1” pieces

2 Tbsp olive oil, more as needed

1 small onion, chopped

¼ cup minced fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground allspice

½ tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp saffron threads, crushed

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped

½ cup golden raisins

1 Jalapeño pepper, minced

2 cups water

1 cup brown rice (I like Uncle Ben’s – it’s whole grain, but parboiled, so it only takes 30 minutes to cook.)

¼ tsp salt

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1.) Prep all ingredients before starting to cook.

2.) Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the chicken. As each batch finishes browning, remove it from the pan and set aside.

3.) Add the onion, ginger, and garlic to the pan. Sauté 5 minutes or until onion starts to soften and become slightly translucent. Stir in cumin, allspice, saffron, and cardamom; cook 15 seconds.

4.) Stir in the tomato, raisins, and jalapeño; cook 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and stir.

5.) Stir in water, rice, and salt, & bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and chicken is cooked through.

6.) If there is still too much liquid, turn the heat up briefly to cook some of it off. The remaining sauce should be thick enough that it won’t run in to fill a spot you clear with your spoon.

7.) Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and let stand for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and enjoy!