Middle Eastern Chicken with Dates

Middle Eastern Chicken with Dates

Cooking with fruit, nuts and spices is very popular in Middle Eastern cooking. Try it out yourself in this delicious chicken recipe from Nestlé Middle East. It takes a while but it is worth it!

Preparation time

10 minutes

Cooking time

1 1/2 hours

Serving number 4

Ingredients

4 / 2 lbs Chicken leg portions (each cut into two smaller pieces)
2 tbsps Olive oil
1 Onion (peeled and thinly sliced)
3 cloves Garlic (crushed)
1/4 tsp Allspice, ground
1/2 tsp Cumin, ground
1/2 tsp Coriander, ground
1/4 tsp Saffron, ground
1/4 tsp Chilli powder
1 tablet MAGGI Chicken bouillon (broth/stock)
50 g / 2 ozs Dates, dried (halved and stone removed)
2 tbsps Pine nuts
2 tbsps Pistachio nuts (shelled and chopped)
500 ml / 2 cups Water, boiling
3 tbsps Honey

Preparation steps

Heat the oil in a deep sided frying pan. Add the chicken pieces and fry until browned, 4-5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Reduce the heat and add the onion slices and fry for 2-3 minutes or until beginning to soften.

Add the crushed garlic and all the spices and fry for a further minute. Return the chicken to the pan and add the MAGGI Chicken bouillon (broth) tablet and the water. Stir well to dissolve the tablet.

Bring up to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and allow to cook over a gentle heat for 1 hour.

Remove the lid from the pan, increase the heat to medium and cook uncovered for a further 30 minutes or until the sauce is has reduced and become thicker.

Add the dates and honey and heat through for a couple of minutes. Serve sprinkled with the pine nuts and pistachio nuts.

Nutritional values per serving

Carbohydrate, total (g) 26.00
Energy (Kcal) 660.00
Protein (g) 44.00
Fats, total (g) 43.00
Energy (Kj) 2762.00