Wali ya Mboga, Sorta

Name: Wali ya Mboga, Sorta
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 6 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided; 1- inch piece ginger, finely grated; 1½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each thigh cut in half; 1½ teaspoons ground cumin; 1½ teaspoons ground coriander; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; 2 cups (360 g) good-quality sela or basmati rice; 2 cups (360 g) good-quality sela or basmati rice; 10 ounces (280 g) fresh baby spinach*; 2 green bird’s-eye chilis or 1 jalapeño, seeds removed if desired, sliced; 2 green bird’s-eye chilis or 1 jalapeño, seeds removed if desired, sliced; ¼ cup (35 g) cherry tomatoes, halved, optional; 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; ¾ cup (180 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt; Kashmiri red chili powder, use ¾ teaspoon paprika plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; Kashmiri red chili powder, use ¾ teaspoon paprika plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; Kashmiri red chili powder, use ¾ teaspoon paprika plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; Yellow onion, use red onion; Yellow onion, use red onion; Olive oil, use vegetable oil; Olive oil, use vegetable oil; Crushed tomatoes, use tomato sauce; Crushed tomatoes, use tomato sauce; Baby spinach, use chopped mature spinach, kale, or Swiss chard; Baby spinach, use chopped mature spinach, kale, or Swiss chard; Baby spinach, use chopped mature spinach, kale, or Swiss chard; Baby spinach, use chopped mature spinach, kale, or Swiss chard; Lemon juice, use 2 tablespoons white vinegar and a splash of water; Lemon juice, use 2 tablespoons white vinegar and a splash of water; Lemon juice, use 2 tablespoons white vinegar and a splash of water

Preparation info

Serves
6 to 8

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
2 hr

Appears in

Third Culture Cooking

By Zaynab Issa

Published 2025

About

In its purest form, the inspiration for this dish, wali ya mboga (Swahili for “rice and vegetables”), is simple—literally just a mix of sauteed vegetables and rice. This riff on the Khoja version I grew up eating is reflective of my roots in both East Africa and India. Sure, rice and vegetables are still present in the form of long-grain rice swirled with ribbons of spinach, but there’s also tender yogurt-marinated chicken that braises in a spice-forward, aromatic tomato curry made with lot

Ingredients

Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
India
Tanzania
Main course
Gluten-free
Low fat
High protein
Low calorie

Ingredients

Method