Cardamom-Lime Chicken

What you'll need

  • 4 bunches scallions
  • 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans
  • 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
  • 0.25 cup lime juice

Savory, sour, unusual and wonderful

There's a decent amount of prep here, followed by a pretty quick cook. So be ready for that. 

  1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, set aside.
  2. Thinly slice the scallions, putting the whites into one bowl and all the greens in another.
  3. Drain the cannelini beans, saving the juices in a separate bowl.
  4. In one little dish, squeeze out 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. In another, combine the garam masala, cardamom, and turmeric, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. 
  5. Squeeze a quarter-cup of lime juice.
  6. Measure out the butter and put it into a Dutch oven.
  7. Now that the chicken is seasoned, cut it into big old 2-inch chunks.
  8. Melt the butter over medium-high heat, and add the chicken chunks and the white parts of the scallions once the butter is good and hot. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until things start to brown. 
  9. Now the spices. Add the dish of tomato paste and the dish of spices, let bloom for about a minute. 
  10. Drown everything in the bean juice, about a cup of chicken broth (might need more, just to keep things floating), and the lime juice. As it comes to a boil, grab all those limes you juiced and zest liberally into the pot. 
  11. Cook for a few minutes, until the chicken is done.
  12. Add the beans and the green parts of the scallions, and cook just long enough for everything to warm up. 
  13. Season to taste.

Submitted by: Joel

Thanks to: Milk Street