One-Pan Paprika Chicken With Lentils, Squash and Daqa

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Published February 18, 2023

  • Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Pamela Duncan Silver.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
About 1½ hours
Rating
5(1,764)
Comments
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This oven bake requires minimal effort and is very much a meal in itself. Daqa is a vinegar-based condiment, most commonly used when making the much-loved Egyptian koshari, a hearty dish of rice, pasta and lentils. Daqa is a nifty way to brighten stews, braises and anything that needs an acidic lift. Feel free to swap out the kabocha squash for root vegetables, such as sweet potato or celery root, and serve the whole thing with nothing more than a leafy green salad.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 ¼ pounds)

  • ¾ pound skin-on kabocha squash, seeds removed, cut into about 6 (1-inch-thick) wedges

  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground sweet paprika

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • Fine sea salt

  • 2 small yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted

  • 8 ounces/1 heaping cup (uncooked) French green lentils, rinsed

  • 2 cups chicken stock

  • ¾ cup sour cream

  • ¼ cup finely chopped chives

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus 1 tablespoon picked leaves for serving

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

38 grams carbs; 186 milligrams cholesterol; 696 calories; 19 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 42 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 1012 milligrams sodium; 41 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, squash, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt; set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Place the onions, 2 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 2 teaspoons paprika in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and mix to combine. Roast for 10 minutes, stirring halfway, until the onions are lightly colored. Stir in the lentils, chicken stock and 1 cup of water. Arrange the squash wedges and the chicken, skin-side up, on top and roast for another 20 minutes, until the chicken skin is deeply golden. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and cook for another 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the squash is nicely softened.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sour cream, chives and dill; set aside.

  5. Step 5

    To make the daqa, mix the remaining garlic and cumin with the vinegar, sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons of water.

  6. Step 6

    When ready, remove the bake from the oven and top with spoonfuls of the sour cream mixture. Pour over the daqa and sprinkle with the extra dill. Serve hot, straight out of the baking dish.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,764 user ratings
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Comments

tinyloop

This is fantastic. Best thing I’ve made in a while. I reduced the heat to 400 rather than 350 (in my experience Ottolenghi recipes tend to need more heat or more time than recommended), and next time I’ll omit the cup of water (lentils were soup rather than side), but the whole family devoured it all.

Fran

I concur on omitting the extra cup of water added with the lentils. Didn't seem like it needed it, it had too much liquid and I had to serve with a slotted spoon. I'd say either omit the cup of water or add more lentils (+1/2 cup?) since the lentil to onion ratio seemed to be heavy on the onion.

kevin s.

The daqa is the condiment made in step 5 from the vinegar, water, cumin, garlic, sugar. I toast my cumin seeds and pulverize them in a mortar a pestle. Liquify in blender.

Talia

if making with sweet potatoes instead of squash, then def want to follow other commenters and have the heat a little higher (reduce to 400 instead of 350) so they actually cook. or parboil. or cut smaller.

Crazy cat lady

Trader Joe sells flavored chickpeas in a can, and I subbed these for the lentils; also subbed a sweet potato for the squash. Both substitutes were excellent. This recipe is definitely worth the effort!

Marla Sparks

I took a user suggestion from another recipe and brined the chicken ahead of time. This adds to the prep/cooking time, but turned out delicious. Also, my grocery store did not have kabocha squash, so I opted for spaghetti squash, which works just fine. I also substituted the sour cream with plain nonfat Greek yogurt - that’s our go to, healthier substitute for anything sour cream/mayo. I also found the green lentils needed an additional 10 minutes of cooking time. Very tasty recipe!

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