Moroccan Chicken Stew with Apricots and Chickpeas

Tender chicken braises with cumin, cinnamon and apricots in a spiced tomato sauce, served with chickpeas and rice. A warming dish that comes together in one pot.

By yumbelo · 4 servings · 75 minutes

Ingredients

• 800 g Bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 pc Onions
• 3 pc Garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Sweet paprika powder
• 0.5 tsp Turmeric
• 0.5 tsp Ground ginger
• 1 tsp Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 150 g Dried apricots
• 400 can Chopped tomatoes
• 250 ml Water
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 pc Lemon (juice and zest)
• 1 can Chickpeas, drained weight about 240 g
• 300 g Basmati rice
• 1 bunch Parsley

Method

1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Peel the onions and cut them into fine strips, finely chop the garlic.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot with a lid. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides until golden, then remove them.
3. Sweat the onions and garlic in the cooking fat for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the cumin, cinnamon, paprika powder, turmeric and ginger and toast for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, water, honey and the lemon zest. Add the apricots and return the chicken to the pot.
5. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and let the dish simmer gently for 40 minutes, until the meat falls off the bone.
6. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to the sauce 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Season with the lemon juice and add salt as needed.
7. While the stew simmers, rinse the rice in a sieve, then bring it to a boil with twice its volume of water, cover and cook over low heat for about 12 minutes, then let it rest for 5 minutes.
8. Wash the parsley, pick off the leaves and chop them roughly. Sprinkle the stew with parsley and serve with the rice.