" Chicken Stew "

Stews and Soups are a must in this cool weather .A bowl of warm stew with fresh bread is the best thing to have on a cool windy day. It makes your evenings special and relaxing. Honestly I was not a very big fan of stew earlier, maybe for the fact that I never had a proper one. But, when I had this stew prepared by my sis in law, I fell in love with it. 

Stew is not something that will look fancy or decorative on your plate but its the most delicious thing for your palate. 

Today I am sharing a warm and lovely recipe of Chicken Stew. This recipe is bang on nutritious as it is full of lean meat, vegetables and goodness of coconut. Its mild and refreshing and once you start dipping your bread in it, you will realise how delicious a stew can be. Don't go by the looks but by the taste here :). You can prepare this recipe with Chicken/ Mutton/ Beef meat. 

Thankyou Mrs Rita Mendonca for sharing this lovely recipe with me. 

" Chicken Stew"

Ingredients : For 4-5 people

400 gms chicken ( with bone or boneless - as per preference)

2 big onions - chopped

4 big tomatoes - chopped

2 bay leaves

a bunch of coriander leaves

5-6 green chillis ( you can increase or reduce the quantity)

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp cumin

4-5 cloves

1 stick cinnamon

1 ginger shoot

10-15 pods garlic

Salt as per taste

1 tbsp turmeric powder

5 cups coconut milk ( thin consistency)

2 cups of mixed, chopped and boiled vegetables - Carrots, Cauliflower,Green Peas, French Beans, Potatoes 

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Olive oil for cooking

Preparation:

• Grind a paste of coriander leaves, green chillis, coriander powder,cumin,cloves, cinnamon, ginger and garlic together. Make a smooth paste and keep aside
• In a deep pan, pour olive oil and deep fry onions with bay leaves till brown. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till they become soft and leave oil on the sides. 
• Add the ground spice paste, turmeric and salt and mix well. Saute for few minutes till the spices are cooked and you can get the aroma. 
• Add the chicken and coconut milk and mix well. Let it boil once and then cover and cook on low flame till chicken is cooked. ( You can add more coconut milk if the gravy gets thick or starts getting dry. You will need a thick stew dipping consistency.)
• Add the boiled vegetables in this stage and cook for another 2-3 minutes. (Dont overcook else vegetables will get mushy) ( Adjust seasoning at this time before switching off the flame)
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with fresh breads and onion salad

Note : If you are using mutton or beef then pre-cook the meat in a pressure cooker with salt and turmeric and then add it to the stew with the vegetables and cook for few minutes. You can also add or subtract any other vegetables as per your own choice. The coconut milk can be used as fresh or prepacked or in powder form. It will give add mildness to the curry so you can adjust the spices as per your taste.