Swiss Chard and Chicken

The Ingredients

Swiss Chard: Of course swiss chard is what I want to talk about here. In fact, the whole idea of this dish was to get my toddlers eat the greens. Swiss chard is considered a nutritional powerhouse and a superfood. With high concentrations of magnesium, anti-oxidants and as an excellent source of fiber, there’s never a wrong time or place to include this in your diet. And no, swiss chard is not a native of Switzerland, it actually originated from the Mediterranean region, specifically from around Sicily.

Methi/Fenugreek greens: Methi is another green leafy veggie which is used in almost all the dishes in India. This imparts a sweet, nutty flavor to the dishes. You can even brew methi tea from fresh leaves or powdered dried leaves and its supposed to work wonders for your body.

The Best Variety

Alright, so we have an absolutely amazing green leafy vegetable here, but its equally important to know which type of swiss chard to use and the best way to cook it, so that the nutritional value of the swiss chard is retained.

Usually swiss chard is available with different colored stalks. We have white, red, yellow and green stalks. The best swiss chard is the one with the white stalk and bright green leaves, when its still young and the one that is grown in organic conditions. Here, we are going to use swiss chard in substantial amounts and so it is best that you use organic variety if you can.

Another thing to look out for is the oxalate content in the swiss chard, it is usually higher in the later growing plant than the first harvest (this is a biennial plant meaning it has a two year cycle), and higher in the older plants than the younger ones. Oxalates are not easy on the kidneys, so use the younger leaves. The swiss chard available in the supermarkets are from the first harvest.

You can either blanch the swiss chard (5 min in boiled water and cooled immediately and chopped), or you can cook for 5 min while making the curry (see the instructions in the methods).

Notes

• Use the organic swiss chard if you can.
• If you do not eat chicken you can easily substitute the chicken with white beans.
• Here I used the chard with red stalks. Wash thoroughly and chop. Use the leaves only, not stalks.
• Always blanch the whole leaves and then chop.
• You can find the ginger garlic paste and garam masala in any Indian store.
• The methi can be used either fresh or in the dried form. The dried form is called kasoori methi and you can find it in the Indian stores.
• You can absolutely adjust the salt, chilli powder and garam masala quantities according to your taste. If you follow this recipe, you will end up with a mildly spiced curry.

Description

This gluten-free dish makes an excellent entrée on the dinner table especially on a rainy day. This will appeal to those who like Indian cuisine, especially the curry. Its also an effective way to get some greens into your kids. Serve it with rice, naan or chapati.

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken cubed
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 4 sprigs of methi leaves chopped
• 1.5 tsp *garam masala
• 1 tsp *chilli powder
• 1.5 tsp *salt
• 3 tomatoes cubed
• 1/4th cup Yogurt
• 1 big bunch swiss chard chopped
• 3 sprigs of mint chopped to garnish
• 1 tsp sour cream

* Adjust according to taste

Method

• Sauté onion in oil in a heavy bottomed pan until the onion is transparent and just turning brown
• Add ginger garlic paste and let it cook until it loses its raw smell, then add turmeric and methi. Let it cook for 2 min
• Add chicken and sprinkle salt, garam masala and chilli powder. Mix well.
• Cook until all the water from chicken is evaporated.
• Add tomatoes. Close the pan with the lid and let it cook until tomatoes are all soft. Remove the lid and let the water evaporate and keep cooking until gravy reaches your desired consistency.
• Add yogurt, sour cream and swiss chard. Mix well, close the lid and let it cook for 4-5 min.
• Add chopped mint, sprinkle some garam masala (1 tsp). Mix well.
• Remove from heat and keep the lid on until you are ready to serve.