Pomegranate and Walnut Chicken

This was a delicious dish. My husband and I used to order a chicken dish made with pomegranates at an Afghani restaurant years ago. The placed closed down a while ago and I have not eaten that delicious dish for a long time.

I have had pomegranate glaze in my pantry for a long time. I had bought it a couple of years ago from Trader Joes (they had it briefly and don’t anymore). I did some extensive research on the internet and came up with my own version. The two main flavors are the walnuts and the pomegranate glaze. I marinated the chicken in ginger and garlic. In the meantime I made a gravy with onion, and lots of aromatic spices including cinnamon.

The dish has a very distinct taste- really delicious. Serve the chicken with some aromatic basmati rice or freshly made rotis.

• 1½ pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 2 inch pieces
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger

Marinate the chicken with the lemon juice, salt, garlic and ginger. Keep in fridge over night or at least for 2 to 3 hours.

• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, sliced thin
• 3 cloves
• ½ cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup walnuts, ground
• 1/3 cup pomegranate glaze
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Saute for 30 seconds and add the onions. Saute the onions for about ten minutes on a medium high heat, stirring constantly. Add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Add the walnuts, pomegranate glaze, chicken broth and sugar. Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and cook for another 10 minutes. Check for seasonings and add the salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro.