Description
This Spiced Chicken Hotpot is a comforting, aromatic one-pot meal featuring tender chicken thigh fillets slow-cooked with a medley of flavorful spices, aubergines, chickpeas, and sweet dried apricots, all topped with thinly sliced potatoes baked to golden perfection. Perfect for a hearty dinner, this recipe blends warming spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, and allspice, creating a rich, fragrant dish that’s both satisfying and nutritious.
Ingredients
Scale
Spices and Aromatics
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 onions (400g), halved and thickly sliced
- 2 aubergines, halved and thickly sliced
- 40g ginger, cut into fine slices
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 40g fresh turmeric, grated or 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp allspice
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp ground coriander
Main Ingredients
- 400g can chickpeas (including liquid)
- 2 red peppers, deseeded and diced
- 2 tsp bouillon powder
- 50g dried apricots, halved
- 600g skinless chicken thigh fillets, trimmed of visible fat and cut into large chunks
- 20g pack coriander, chopped
Topping
- 560g large potatoes, very thinly sliced (no need to peel)
- Remaining 1 tsp olive oil (for brushing)
Instructions
- Prepare and soften onions: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a large, deep flameproof casserole with a heavy base and lid over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a splash of water, cover, and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened slightly.
- Add aubergines: Stir the onions, then add the sliced aubergines. Cover again and cook for 5 more minutes to soften the aubergines.
- Add spices and chickpeas: Stir in the ginger, crushed garlic, grated or ground turmeric, allspice, cumin seeds, and ground coriander until fragrant. Pour in the chickpeas along with their liquid, stirring to combine.
- Add remaining ingredients: Mix in the diced red peppers, bouillon powder, dried apricots, chicken chunks, and a full can (400ml) of water. Stir in the chopped coriander leaves.
- Layer potatoes and prepare for baking: Arrange the thinly sliced potatoes on top in a slight overlapping, spiral pattern. Press down gently to compact, then brush the surface with the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil.
- Bake the hotpot: Cover the casserole with the lid and bake in the preheated oven for 1 to 1½ hours. Remove the lid halfway through cooking to allow the potatoes to crisp slightly, then continue baking until the potatoes are tender and the juices are bubbling.
Notes
- Use skinless, boneless chicken thighs for best flavor and tenderness.
- If fresh turmeric is unavailable, ground turmeric is a convenient substitute.
- You can prepare the hotpot up to layering the potatoes in advance and refrigerate before baking.
- For extra richness, drizzle a little melted butter or drizzle cream over the potatoes before baking.
- Check the liquid level during baking; if it is drying out, add a splash of water to prevent burning.
- Adjust spice levels to taste by adding more cumin or coriander if desired.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keywords: spiced chicken hotpot, baked chicken casserole, aubergine recipes, one pot meal, comforting dinner, Middle Eastern chicken, potato topping
