Sudanese Gurasa Chicken Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
• 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped, plus 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 green chili, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 4 pieces soft flatbread
• 2 lemons, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley

Steps

1. Pat the chicken dry and season it with the cumin, half the salt, and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the chicken in a single layer for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until well coloured on two sides, then lift it out.
3. Lower the heat, add the onion with a pinch of salt, and cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden, scraping up the browned residue.
4. Add the garlic, ginger, chili, and cardamom for 30 seconds, then the tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes until it darkens.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes, until they collapse and the oil separates at the edges of the pan.
6. Return the chicken with the stock, cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until it reaches 165F (74C) and is tender.
7. Uncover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more to reduce the sauce. It should be thick enough to cling to the chicken, because thin sauce turns the gurasa to pulp.
8. Tear the flatbread into a wide dish, ladle the chicken and sauce over it, and let it stand for 3 minutes before serving with the cilantro and lemon wedges.

Allergen note: Contains gluten.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.