Garam masala chicken with ginger rice and garlic spinach

Ingredients

• 1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh ginger root, minced
• ¾ cup (175 mL) long grain brown rice, rinsed
• ½ cup (125 mL) red lentils, rinsed
• 2 cups (500 mL) reduced sodium chicken broth  

• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh ginger root, minced
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) garam masala
• 6 Tbsp (180 mL) low fat plain Greek yogurt, divided 
• ⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) salt
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1lb./454g)
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
• 1 pint (340 g) grape tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
• ½ cup (125 mL) water

• 2 tsp (10 mL) canola oil
• ½ tsp (2.5 mL) cumin seeds
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 8 cups (8 oz/240 g) lightly packed baby spinach, rinsed well

Instructions

1. For the chicken, mix minced garlic, ginger, garam masala, salt and 4 Tbsp (60 mL) yogurt in a large bowl.  Cut small slits on the surface of the chicken thighs and mix well with the marinade.  Marinate in fridge for 60 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tsp (5 mL) oil in a small sized pot on medium heat. Add ginger and cook 1 minute. Stir in rice and broth. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes. Add lentils, mix gently, cover and cook on low an additional 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, cover and set aside.   
3. Heat 1 Tbsp (15 mL) canola oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add marinated chicken and cook about 5 minutes per side, until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Add tomatoes to the pan and cook for additional 5 minutes.
4.  Add ½ cup (125 mL) water and scrape the bits stuck to the pan into the sauce. Simmer to let thicken for about 2 minutes; remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 Tbsp (30 mL) yogurt.  
5. Heat 2 tsp (10 mL) canola oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and cook and stir 1-2 minutes until golden. Add the cumin seeds and let sputter for 30 seconds, before adding the spinach. Stir and allow spinach to wilt. Serve warm with chicken and rice mixture.

• Make it vegetarian: Simply substitute the chicken with cubed tofu or chickpeas and follow recipe as directed.  
• Cooking know-how: Garam masala is an Indian spice blend that is used to season many types of dishes from curry to soups to desserts. It usually is a mixture of cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and bay leaves, but every blend may have a secret spice or two mixed in.
• Nutrition know-how: Adding high fibre, low glycemic lentils to your rice helps to slow the blood sugar response and lessen the glycemic load of the total meal.
• Flavour boost: Using spices like garam masala and cumin and ingredients like garlic and ginger add flavour without added salt.
• Food safety: Never rinse poultry before cooking it because you can spread bacteria wherever the water splashes, like the sink, the countertop and your clothes.