Chicken in delicate spices with Green garlic scapes (Hare Lehsun ka murg)

Right after we got married, I got into gardening our backyard (a requirement for the housing apartment complex that my husband’s company provided us) and grew different kind of vegetables. One of them was garlic. That’s when I discovered garlic scapes – similar to spring onions, only more curly and the bulbs were of course, garlic. Come spring, and garlic shoots would overrun the garlic patch. My gardener would keep weeding out the shoots to keep the patch clean. Always game for experiments in the kitchen, I went to work, discovering ways to cook this delicately aromatic green ingredient.

Garlic scapes add a rich texture and a delicate flavor to the food they are added to. Though they emit strong garlic smell while chopping, they impart a much milder aroma of garlic when cooked. It’s not a vegetable that you might get every time everywhere, but it’s an easy buy if you know where to look. They are easily available in almost all Farmer’s market in the spring and summer months, and in many organic food stores and supermarkets in many cities. You might also find them in the frozen section of many local Asian stores. Imagine my delight when I found a pack of frozen garlic scapes in our local Indian store last week.

Chicken in delicate spices with green Garlic scapes

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Medium

Calories per serving: 286

Rich in: Vitamin C, Calcium, Vit A, Iron, Dietary fiber

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs. boneless chicken cubed
• 1 bunch of garlic scapes/ green garlic shoots washed and chopped (or 1 pkt of frozen garlic shoots)
• 1 tsp. of garlic-green chili paste (optional)
• 2 cloves
• 1 dry red chili
• ½ tsp. of: fennel seeds, mustard seeds and cumin seeds
• 1 onion, medium, sliced fine
• 1 tsp. garlic grated
• 1 tsp of garlic and green chili paste mashed together in a pestle and mortal (optional)
• ½ tsp. ginger paste
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped fine
• 2 Thai green chilies
• 1/3rd  cup yogurt whipped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Coriander leaves for garnish
• Lemon juice 2 tbsp.
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Let the chicken pieces marinate in tsp of mashed garlic and green chilli paste and salt while you chop other ingredients, but this step is optional.
2. Heat oil in a deep pan
3. Season with cumin, mustard and fennel seeds
4. Fry garlic.
5. Add onions and fry till they are translucent.
6. Add chicken and fry till the chicken looks golden. Add cloves. Keep stirring.
7. Lower the heat, and add yogurt, one spoon at a time till it blends in nice.
8. Put in chopped tomatoes, increase heat to medium and cook till they blend in well.
9. Add ginger paste and sauté.
10. Add chopped garlic shoots. Increase the flame and sauté till the shoots are cooked. Keep turning over the meat with the shoots carefully, till the shoots look translucent and cooked. Then lower the heat and cook covered for a few minutes.
11. Uncover and then cook again on high heat till all the water evaporates. NOTE: Fresh greens release water, so cook on high heat to dry out the water. Adjust this step according to the water content, it should not be charred.
12. Add lemon juice, black pepper and green chilies, stir well and switch off the heat.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice. Serve hot with any kind of bread that you prefer. Goes well will Indian breads – roti or naan, or crusty Rye and Sourdough breads. Also makes for a great side dish for rice, and pasta.