Ina Garten’s 1770 House Chicken and Chickpea Curry

Adapted from Ina Garten’s 1770 House Lamb and Chickpea Curry.

This is my favorite recipe from my favorite cook book - Ina Garten’s Cook Like a Pro! We all know and love Ina Garten, and anything we’ve ever made of hers has always been top notch. According to her cookbook, she ordered this dish one night at a restaurant in the Hamptons called The 1770 House, and she loved it so much she included it in her book. I’ve made some changes to the amounts of some ingredients, but most importantly I’ve replaced the lamb with chicken (which is why if you see the recipe below, it’s called “1770 Lamb and Chickpea Curry” not chicken). That’s our preference, but of course you can use whatever you like. We've also used beef stew meat and it was good as well. We serve ours with sour cream rather than plain greek yogurt.

This is one of our go-to dinners in the colder months, and I know you will love it too! I’ve included links to the original recipe, or below you can see my adapted version with the changes I’ve made over years of making this.

Here are some links to the original recipe if you prefer! 

Original Lamb and Chickpea Curry Recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lamb-and-chickpea-curry-7601772 

Ina Garten’s Cook Like a Pro (Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/46NhapP  

1770 House Inn & Restaurant: https://www.1770house.com/ 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken breast - 1/2 inch diced

• 1/4 cup Madras curry powder 

• 2 teaspoons ground paprika 

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin 

• 1 teaspoon roughly minced fresh rosemary leaves (or 2 tsp dried)

• 1 teaspoon roughly minced fresh thyme leaves (or 2 tsp dried)

• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds 

• 1 tbsp Kosher salt 

• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

• 1/2 cup olive oil 

• 1 cup chopped yellow onion 

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger 

• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves) 

• 1 cup dry white wine 

• 2 cups chicken stock 

• 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk 

• 1 can tomato paste (6 ounces) 

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed 

• 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup 

• 4 tablespoons harissa 

• 1 cup (petite diced) carrots (4 carrots) 

• 1 cup (petite diced) celery (2 large stalks) 

• 1/2 cup regular or golden raisins 

• 4 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained (45 ounces) 

• White rice, for serving 

• Sour cream, for serving

Directions 

1. Combine all the spices from the curry powder down to the pepper in a bowl. Place the cut chicken pieces in a large bowl and cover with the seasoning. Use a large spoon or your hands to coat evenly, and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

2. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and ginger for 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook for one minute. Add the chicken along with all the seasonings and sauté for 15 minutes, browning the meat on all sides. 

3. Using the white wine, deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the delicious bits from the bottom. 

4. Add the rest of the liquid ingredients from the chicken stock all the way to the harissa. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low, partially covered for 1 hour. Stir every 10-15 minutes to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the dutch oven. 

5. Add the remaining ingredients from the carrots to the chickpeas, and simmer for 30 minutes. Test for salt and pepper. Serve over rice, topped with sour cream. 

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