Suqaar Digaag (Spiced Chicken and Vegetable Sauté)
Published March 2, 2023
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced into bite-size pieces
½ lemon, juiced
½ teaspoon hot, sweet or smoked paprika
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade xawaash blend (see Tip)
Fine sea salt
4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeño (optional), stemmed and halved
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Flatbread (such as anjero or sabaayad) or rice and salad, for serving (optional)
Preparation
- Step 1
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm up 2 tablespoons oil. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 6 to 7 minutes.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the chicken, lemon juice, paprika, black pepper, 1 teaspoon xawaash blend and 1 teaspoon salt; mix until evenly coated.
- Step 3
Once the onion finishes cooking, add the garlic and jalapeño (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken and turn up the heat to medium-high. Let the chicken cook, undisturbed, until it is cooked almost all the way through, 4 to 5 minutes, then stir the chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer until it is cooked through and browned.
- Step 4
Add the bell peppers, cilantro and remaining 1 teaspoon xawaash blend and mix together. If you need a little more oil, add a drizzle. Turn down the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet with a lid and let the suqaar cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell peppers become tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt if you’d like.
- Step 5
Serve the chicken suqaar with a flatbread of your choice, or over rice and with a salad. Chicken suqaar can last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
To prepare your own xawaash blend, add 4 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom to a small nonstick pan. Toast over low heat, stirring continuously, for 1 minute or until the spice mix becomes fragrant, then stir in ½ teaspoon ground turmeric. Makes 6 teaspoons.
Private Notes
Comments
I tried this last night - had to make my own xawaash per the tip at the bottom as I didn’t have any. It was delish and I will definitely be making it again. I did not change a thing.
Amazing recipe. I make the spice blend in the note and use all of it on the chicken thighs. (If I have the foresight I will rub it on the thighs in the morning and put it in the fridge until I’m ready to make later). I also tend to throw in anything else I might have lying around — spinach, chickpeas, mushrooms, etc. One thing I always add is a preserved lemon from my fridge, chopped. Takes the dish over the top.
I followed the recipe, exactly. That is a challenge for me but I did it. It was delicious!
I really enjoyed this, though my family was a bit less wowed. It is extremely easy, but it also has a pretty similar flavor profile to Sifton's Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma, which wowed everyone. Probably only room for one of the two in the regular rotation.
Too long and too high heat for the onion and garlic. Should be at low for half the time
Am I missing something? Are we just tossing in a halved jalapeño or are we dicing it??