Turmeric Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

Name: Turmeric Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless chicken (any cut); 1 large head broccoli; 1 onion; 5 cloves garlic; 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root; 1 heaping tablespoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon chile powder; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 lemon; Chicken stock or coconut milk (optional)

7 Ratings

45 Comments

Prep 30 min
Total 30 min
Servings 5

A twist on a standard chicken and broccoli dish, this is loaded with turmeric and ginger. The flavor is familiar and exotic at the same time! MORE+ LESS-

By The Food in My Beard

Updated March 7, 2017

Ingredients

lb boneless chicken (any cut)

large head broccoli

onion

cloves garlic

2-inch piece of fresh ginger root

heaping tablespoon turmeric

teaspoon cumin

1/2

teaspoon chile powder

tablespoons butter

lemon

Chicken stock or coconut milk (optional)

Steps

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1

This stir fry cooks up quickly, so prep all your ingredients before you begin cooking: Cut onion in half, and cut each half into 1/4-inch slices. Cut chicken into strips. Roughly chop the broccoli into bite-sized chunks. Mince the garlic and ginger together to form a chunky paste. Finally, make a spice blend with the cumin, chile and turmeric.
2

Saute the onions in the butter until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
3

Add the spice blend. Cook 1 minute.
4

Add the chicken and broccoli and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the broccoli has reached your desired texture. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze over the skillet to release as much juice as possible, being careful to keep the seeds out of the pan. Stir all ingredients to combine. (Note: There will be very little leftover cooking liquid. If you prefer a saucy stir fry, add chicken stock or coconut milk in small amounts until it's your desired consistency.)
5

Serve over rice.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories: 260
Calories from Fat: 110

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 12g; 19%
Saturated Fat 5g 25% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol: 105mg; 34%
Sodium: 160mg; 7%
Potassium: 660mg; 19%
Total Carbohydrate: 14g; 5%
Dietary Fiber 4g 17% Sugars 3g
Protein: 23g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 20%; 20%
Vitamin C: 100%; 100%
Calcium: 8%; 8%
Iron: 20%; 20%

Exchanges:

0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 3 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 2 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choice

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

Turmeric is a very interesting yet often misunderstood spice. It may seem exotic to you, but most of us eat more turmeric than we think! This is because it is used as a natural food coloring in many off-the-shelf food products, especially yellow mustard. Another reason that turmeric is misunderstood is that it has a very short shelf life. In my opinion, after five months in your cabinet, it has lost about half of its potency. A few more months and it develops a musty, almost moldy scent. And unfortunately whole turmeric sticks are hard to find and not very convenient to use in the kitchen. So be sure to buy the powder in very small quantities and write the date on the package! Turmeric shines in curries or with similar species like ginger and cardamom. I like mixing it with ground beef and onions to make Persian-style meatballs. Not many Middle Eastern dishes are complete without it! This simple stir fry really lets the turmeric flavor (and color) come through in the final dish. It's so vibrant, and a nice change from your standard chicken and broccoli stir fry. Serve with rice and see just how good it is! You'll be Googling more turmeric recipes by the time you finish eating.