A Turkish dish in which yogurt, an important feature in Turkish cooking, is flavored with cardamom and ginger.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt

　　1 teaspoon ground cardamom, or the seeds, crushed

　　1 1/2 inches fresh gingerroot, grated, or crushed in a garlic press to extract the juice

　　1 large onion, chopped

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　A 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into quarters, or 4 chicken fillets

　　Salt and pepper

　　1/4 cup blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

　　

Step 1

In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the cardamom and ginger and let them infuse while you cook the chicken.

　　

Step 2

In a large skillet, fry the onion in the oil till soft. Add the chicken pieces and sauté until the onions are golden and the chicken pieces lightly browned. Add salt and pepper and a cup of water, and cook over low heat—12 minutes for breast meat, 20 minutes for dark—until the chicken is very tender and the sauce reduced, turning the chicken pieces over and adding a little water if it becomes too dry.

　　

Step 3

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the yogurt. Serve sprinkled with almonds.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf