Name: Chicken Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 700 grams chicken (medium pieces); 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 pieces cloves; 2 pieces bay leaves (whole); 15 pieces black pepper corns (whole); 2 pieces green cardamom (whole); 1 piece black cardamom (whole); 12 cloves garlic (peeled, roughly chopped); 1 piece onion (medium size, finely sliced); 2 pieces green chilies (finely chopped); ½ piece carrot (cut into cubes); 1 piece potato (with skin, cut into cubes); Salt to taste; ¼ tsp turmeric powder; 2 pieces tomatoes (each cut in half); 5 pieces coriander stems; 1 liter water; 1 tsp rice flour (or corn flour); Water (as required to make rice flour slurry); 10 pieces spinach leaves (chopped roughly); ½ tsp black pepper (crushed)

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Chicken stew mainly consists of soft and tender chicken pieces, usually cooked slowly over a medium flame in olive oil. The aroma comes from the whole spices like cloves, pepper, and black and green cardamom. Onions, garlic, and green chilies make the light gravy, which is made more filling by adding a few chopped vegetables like potatoes and carrots. Tomatoes and coriander stems are also added for tanginess and flavor, respectively, while chopped spinach leaves make it healthier. A bit of rice flour slurry renders the desired thickness of the stew. The process to make chicken stew at home is quite easy, which you can learn from my easy recipe.

Table of Contents

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Chicken stew is a popular comfort dish in many Indian homes, especially enjoyed during cooler days or when light, nourishing food is preferred.
Serve it with toasted bread, appam, or plain steamed rice for a complete meal.

Chicken stew has a mild and soothing spicy and earthy taste.
Other similar recipes are clear chicken soup, chicken curry, and chicken yakhni.

The Ingredients:

700 grams chicken (medium pieces)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 pieces cloves
2 pieces bay leaves (whole)
15 pieces black pepper corns (whole)
2 pieces green cardamom (whole)
1 piece black cardamom (whole)
12 cloves garlic (peeled, roughly chopped)
1 piece onion (medium size, finely sliced)
2 pieces green chilies (finely chopped)
½ piece carrot (cut into cubes)
1 piece potato (with skin, cut into cubes)
Salt to taste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 pieces tomatoes (each cut in half)
5 pieces coriander stems
1 liter water
1 tsp rice flour (or corn flour)
Water (as required to make rice flour slurry)
10 pieces spinach leaves (chopped roughly)
½ tsp black pepper (crushed)

This recipe came up during a regular afternoon phone call with my cousin. We were talking about nothing important, mostly family updates and complaints about daily work. In between, she mentioned what she had cooked that day because her kids were bored of the usual food. I asked her casually what she did differently. She narrated the steps, not in detail, but that was enough to inspire me to give it a try someday.

After a few days, when my husband brought fresh chicken and wanted me to cook something new, healthy, and fresh, I recalled the conversation I had with my cousin. I tried making it based on memory. It wasn’t exact, but it worked. My husband said it was light and easy to eat. The boys didn’t show their usual tantrums, which is rare. That was enough for me to keep the recipe and thank my cousin for sharing it.

How to Make Chicken Stew? (Step by Step Guide with Images)

Step 1: Take 700 grams of chicken. Cut them in medium-sized pieces and wash them nicely with salt and vinegar. Also, make slits in the leg pieces. Keep them aside.

Step 2: Now, pour 1 tbsp of olive oil in a kadai. When it is slightly hot, put in 2 pieces of cloves, 2 pieces of bay leaves, 15 pieces of black pepper corns, 2 pieces of green cardamom, 1 piece of black cardamom along with 12 cloves of garlic (peeled, roughly chopped). Stir and fry them over a medium flame for about 20 seconds or so. Then, add 1 piece of onion (medium size, finely sliced) and turn the flame to high. Cook till the onions turn soft and translucent.

Step 3: Now, put in 2 pieces of finely chopped green chilies and cook for about 10 seconds.

Step 4: Then, add the chicken pieces to it. Stir intermittently and cook it over a medium flame this time for about 6 to 7 minutes until the color of the chicken pieces changes.

Step 5: Now, add cubical pieces of half a carrot and one potato with skin to it along with salt to taste and ¼ tsp turmeric powder. Mix everything very nicely and cook it for another 2 to 3 minutes over a medium flame. Then, add 2 pieces of tomatoes (each cut in half) along with 5 pieces of coriander stems to it and mix them well.

Step 6: Now, pour in 1 liter of water to it and mix nicely. Cover the kadai, turn the flame to high, and let it come to a boil.

Step 7: While the chicken cooks, prepare a rice flour slurry with 1 tsp of rice flour and water as needed. Check the consistency. It should not be too thick.

Step 8: Pour the rice flour into the chicken stew after 5 minutes of cooking and mix very nicely. Remove the skin from the tomato pieces using a pair of tongs. Cover and cook it for another 15 to 20 minutes, this time over a medium flame.

(Pro tip: Do not cook the chicken over a high flame after adding rice flour slurry, or else the chicken will not be soft).

Step 9: After 20 minutes, check the doneness of the potatoes using a knife.

Step 10: Now, add 10 pieces of spinach leaves (chopped roughly) to it. Mix well, cover, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 11: Finally, add ½ tsp of crushed black pepper to it and mix well. Check the doneness of the chicken.

Step 12: Your tasty and healthy homemade chicken stew is ready to enjoy. Transfer it into a serving bowl and serve hot as is or with toasted bread.