Chicken Dhal - Michelin-Starred Chef Recipe
🧑🍳 For those of you who have been using Signature Spice, here's a simple yet delicious recipe by Michelin-starred chef Jeff Baker, using only 6 tsp of the blend. This recipe can be batch-cooked & frozen for another day.
Serves 4 | Easy | Prep 10 mins | Cook from 3 hours
"A simple take on the ever popular Dhal, with Monalisa's spices adding a real depth of flavour & authenticity. Adding the lentils & sweet potatoes creates a nutritious & great value alternative. Serve on its own, with steamed rice or Indian breads."
— Jeff Baker
Ingredients
- 8 free-range bone in chicken thighs
- 500g Chana Dhal soaked in cold water minimum 4 hours (then gently simmered in fresh water for approximately 25 minutes until tender with a creamy texture)
- 50g unsalted butter
- 3 onions diced
- 4 garlic cloves, not too large, finely grated
- Nugget fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 6 tsp Monalisa's Signature Spice blend
- 500g chicken stock / broth
- 400g chopped tomatoes (I like to use Mutti)
- 4 fresh tomatoes finely chopped
- 3 sweet potatoes diced
- Sea salt to taste
- Fresh coriander, to serve
- Tadka (Black mustard & cumin seeds fried in butter & drizzled over the Dhal to finish) optional
Step-by-Step Method
1. Sprinkle over the chicken half the Monalisa's Signature Spice blend.
2. In a pan over medium-high heat brown the chicken in butter then remove & set to one side.
3. Soften the onions & garlic with the butter in the same pan then add the ginger, the remaining Monalisa's Signature Spice blend & cook out for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes & stock & simmer until the oil starts to split then add the cooked Dhal, diced sweet potatoes & top with the chicken skin side up & simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
5. Pour the Tadka over the dish & serve.
To Serve
Perfect with freshly cooked rice, coriander & pickles.
About This Recipe
This recipe comes from Michelin-starred chef Jeff Baker and showcases how versatile our Signature Spice blend is. With just 6 teaspoons, you get restaurant-quality depth of flavour and authenticity. It's nutritious, great value, and perfect for batch cooking!
Why This Recipe Works
The combination of Chana Dhal (split chickpeas) and sweet potatoes creates a hearty, nutritious base, while the bone-in chicken thighs add richness. The Signature Spice blend does all the heavy lifting - no need to measure out multiple spices!
Prep time: 10 minutes (plus 4 hours soaking) | Cook time: 3 hours | Spice level: Medium 🌶️🌶️
📸 @gosiambaker @allenmarkey