Spiced Ground Chicken with Bell Peppers
Warm spices cumin, coriander, and garam masala pair with bright hits of lemon and fresh herbs, and the crunch of lightly-cooked green bell peppers in this fast and healthy meal. The recipe is a take on the Pakistani dish Keema Shimla Mirch, lightened up with ground chicken or turkey breast meat, though you can certainly use dark meat, or even ground beef, for a richer flavor. If you like your food spicier, feel free to add extra ground chile powder, or throw in some minced jalapeno or Thai green chiles when you add the bell peppers.
Author: Erin Carstens, adapted from Zainab Shah in The New York Times
Time: ~30 minutes
Servings: 2 to 4
INGREDIENTS
3T neutral oil, such as avocado
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 pound ground chicken breast or turkey breast
1t freshly grated ginger
1t freshly grated garlic
1t fine sea salt
1t cumin seeds
1/2t kashmiri or other ground red chile powder
1/4t ground coriander
1/4t ground turmeric
1 x 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 large green bell pepper, seeded & sliced about 1/4” thick
3/4t garam masala
2 to 3T lemon juice
2 to 3T chopped fresh cilantro or mint (or some of both)
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a large high-sided (and preferably nonstick) skillet over medium-high. Once hot, add oil, and heat another minute. Add onion, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. This typically takes around 5 minutes.
Fold in ground meat, ginger, garlic, and salt, and then press meat down into a patty to cover as much of the hot surface area of the skillet as you can. Increase heat to high and let caramelize for 2 to 3 minutes, before breaking meat up and continuing to stir occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated (another 5 to 8 minutes.)
Lower heat back to medium, and stir in cumin seeds, chile powder, coriander, and turmeric. Then add the canned tomatoes and continue cooking 5 to 7 minutes, letting the flavors meld, and some of the tomato juices cook off.
Add bell pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, just until the strips begin to soften, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, and sprinkle the dish with garam masala, lemon juice, and fresh herbs to serve.
Nutritional Information (Approximate, Per Serving, if 2 Servings)
Calories: 495
Protein: 50 grams
Fat: 25 grams
Carbohydrates: 20 grams (4.5 grams fiber, 9 grams sugar)