Spicing Up Dinner
I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of falling into a rut thinking about what to make for dinner nowadays. Having a routine is great but it can become monotonous, which isn’t great for sparking creativity and inspiration. If you’re also feeling this way, you’re in luck because I have a delicious Curried Chicken and Couscous recipe calling your name for tomorrow night’s dinner!
This Curried Chicken and Couscous recipe is great because it’s a complete meal. We’ve got protein from the chicken, starch from the Israeli couscous, and veg from the cauliflower. So don’t worry about finding any other side dish recipes because everything you need it right here!
Couscous v. Couscous
This recipe features Israeli couscous, which is a pearl shaped pasta. Israeli couscous (AKA pearl couscous) and couscous are two different types of couscous. It’s important to know the difference between the two for this recipe because they will yield very different results. As previously stated, Israeli couscous is a pearl shaped pasta. It look like little spheres and it has a bouncier, pasta-like texture when cooked. Couscous, on the other hand resembles little, short granules. When cooked, it has fluffy texture similar to that of cooked rice.
I decided to use Israeli couscous for this Curried Chicken and Couscous recipe because I generally prefer Israeli Couscous. It has more texture and the starch released in the cooking process helps to yield a risotto-like consistency.
Curry it Up
The chicken and the couscous are seasoned with a mix of spices and herbs. We’ve got thyme, curry powder, garlic powder, turmeric, cumin, and coriander, so you are in for a flavorful dish! The chicken is seared, roasted, and broiled. This ensures that the chicken skin will be nice a crispy. We don’t want any rubbery, flabby skin to mess up our delicious meal.
When the chicken and cauliflower have been roasted and the couscous has cooked, we mix in lemon juice, parsley, pomegranate seeds, and black currants. The lemon juice helps to brighten the flavors of the dish, the parsley and pomegranate seeds add a pop of color, and the black currants add a hint of sweetness.
And we cannot forget the tahini yogurt sauce! It’s made from greek yogurt, tahini, fresh dill and parsley, lemon juice, and garlic. The freshness and tanginess cuts through the spices coating the chicken, creating the perfect balance of flavors!
Try This Recipe
Now is a great time to experiment with new foods and recipes. So if you’re looking looking for a new dinner recipe to spice up your life, definitely try this Curried Chicken and Couscous recipe! Thank you so much for tuning in today, and I’ll be back next week with a recipe that I’m SUPER excited to share with you all!
Curried Chicken and Couscous
Ingredients
For the Curried Chicken and couscous
- 2 tsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
- 1 tsp Curry Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 Small Red Onion (sliced)
- 3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1 1/2 cups Israeli Couscous
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 3/4 lb Skin on Chicken Thighs (about 4 large thighs) (excess fat trimmed off)
- 1 Head of Cauliflower (cut into medium sized florets)
- 1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1/2 cup Dried Black Currants
- 3/4 cup Pomegranate Seeds
- 1/4 cup Chopped Parsley
- As Needed Kosher Salt
- As Needed Ground Black Pepper
For the Tahini Yogurt Sauce
- 5 oz Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 tbsp Tahini
- 1 tbsp Chopped Dill
- 1 tbsp Chopped Parsley
- 1 Garlic Clove (minced)
- Zest from Half a Lemon
- 1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
Instructions
For the the Yogurt Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients into a small bowl mix until everything is combined. Set aside for later use.
For the Curried Couscous
- Preheat your oven to 400˚F.
- In a small bowl, combine the thyme, curry powder, garlic powder, turmeric, cumin, and coriander. Mix until all of the spices are evenly distributed. Set aside.
- Place the cauliflower florets on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil. Season the cauliflower with 1 tsp of kosher salt, 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Mix everything together until the cauliflower florets are evenly coated in oil and seasoning. Set aside.
- Pat your chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Use about 1 tbsp of kosher salt and 1 tsp of ground black pepper to season both sides of all the chicken thighs. Then use about 3/4 of the spice mix to rub onto both sides of the chicken, reserving the rest of the spice mix for later.
- Heat a pan over high heat. Add in enough olive oil so that it coats the bottom of your pan. When the pan has heated, add in the chicken thighs, skin side down, and sear the skin, about 2 minutes. Once the skin side has crisped and turned golden brown, flip the chicken onto the other side to sear.
- When both sides of the chicken have seared, place them onto the same sheet tray as the cauliflower. Nestle the chicken in between the cauliflower florets. Place the sheet tray into the oven and cook the cauliflower and chicken for about 20-25 minutes. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165˚F, and the cauliflower should be fork tender. Halfway through the cooking time, use a spatula to mix and flip over the cauliflower florets so that they brown evenly.
- While the chicken and cauliflower cook, add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to the same pan you seared the chicken in. Heat the pan over medium high heat. Once the pan has heated, add in the sliced red onions. Cook the onions until they turn translucent then add in the garlic and mix.
- Add in the thyme, couscous, and remaining spice mix. Stir everything together until the couscous pearls have been evenly coated with spices and oil. Then add in the chicken broth. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat so that it is simmering. Simmer for about 15 minutes with the lid on or until the couscous are tender and cooked. Stir every five minutes or so. When the couscous has cooked, add in a 1/2 tsp of kosher salt, a 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice, and the currants. Mix until everything is evenly distributed.
- When the chicken has cooked, change your oven to the broil setting and make sure your sheet tray is on the highest rack in the oven. Broil for about 5 minutes or until the chicken skin has crisped. Keep a close eye on it, as you do not want the cauliflower to burn. When the chicken skin has crisped, remove it from the oven and nestle the cauliflower and chicken into the pan with the couscous. To finish, sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley on top and serve with the tahini yogurt sauce. Enjoy!
