Country Captain With Cauliflower And Peas

Total Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorn
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom seed (from 3 whole green cardamom pods)
• 1 1/2 inches piece cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon scant cayenne pepper
• 5 tablespoons peanut oil or 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 small head cauliflower, trimmed, cut into 1-inch florets (about 4 cups)
• coarse kosher salt
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
• 1 bunch green onion, dark green and parts chopped separately
• 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth (or more)
• 1 2/3 cups crushed tomatoes in puree (from 28-ounce can)
• 1/3 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups frozen baby peas (9 to 10 ounces, do not thaw)
• 1/3 cup coconut, shavings

Recipe

• 1 for spice mixture:.
• 2 place coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom seeds, and cinnamon stick in small dry skillet. stir over medium heat until fragrant and slightly darker in color, 5 to 6 minutes. remove from heat; cool. finely grind spices in spice mill or in mortar with pestle. transfer to small bowl; add turmeric and cayenne.
• 3 for chicken:.
• 4 heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large deep pot over medium-high heat. add cauliflower florets; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and sauté until beginning to soften and brown in spots, 6 to 7 minutes. transfer to medium bowl.
• 5 add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and half of chicken to same pot; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and sauté until chicken is light brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. transfer chicken to large bowl. repeat with remaining chicken.
• 6 add parts of green onions, finely grated ginger, and minced garlic to same pot; reduce heat to medium and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. add ground spice mixture; stir 15 seconds. stir in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. add crushed tomatoes; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. stir in dried cherries and peanut butter; return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. cover and simmer 10 minutes. add sautéed cauliflower to pot; cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and cauliflower is tender, adding more chicken broth by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry, about 10 minutes longer. season with coarse salt and pepper. do ahead: can be made 1 day ahead. cool slightly. chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. rewarm over medium heat before continuing.
• 7 add frozen peas to stew and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. ladle stew into bowls. sprinkle each serving with green onion tops and toasted coconut shavings and serve.