Chicken Stew

Directions

1. You can use chicken thigh on the bone too in that case use around 800 gms perhaps. Prep the chicken pcs, cut in two so all are same size. easy to serve and eat. In a pestle mortar (cut the green chilly in half and ginger in manageable size before adding to the pestle mortar) deseed the chilli if you prefer. Add in the Ginger, Green chilli, Pepper corns, Cinnamon and Pound to a rough paste. add the turmeric to it and pound till it's a beautiful golden color. Chop onion and finely chop garlic. Chop coriander leaves /cilantro and mint ( mint adds a little freshness to it).
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan on a medium flame, add onion and fry till done but still pink, add a little salt at this stage, it help the onions release moisture, add the chopped garlic and fry till fragrant but not brown, add the bay leaves. Next add the ground paste and fry it, make sure to keep stirring. you don’t want into catch at the bottom. Add the chicken and mix well. Fry it let it coat with the mixture well add salt. always add salt in stages, not all at once. Cover & cook for at least 5 minutes, till the chicken looks like its ready to start browning in some areas. Add the potatoes with the *thin coconut milk and let it cook. If you are using a can of coconut milk, just add it in two stages. Add the carrots & peas. (if you use frozen peas add them a little closer to the end of cooking so they do not overcook, you don’t not want mushy peas, no one likes them.) Add half the coriander leaves and mint, stir & cover. Give the chicken & potatoes some time alone. Once the chicken is cooked & the potatoes are soft, taste for salt, adjust accordingly. adjust anything else if needed. Then add the thick (or rest of) the coconut milk , bring to a quick boil & then it is done. Serve hot with white rice. Add lemon juice, and garnish with some of the remaining chopped fresh coriander leaves to garnish. the stew will have a pale greenish hue to it. Thick soup consistency. Adjust the thickness as you like keeping in mind to balance the flavors. -------------------------------------- *This stew also works really well with Mutton or lamb. For a vegetarian version you can use vegetables with some body like Pumpkin, Gourd or aubergines along with the above mentioned vegetables. *Use fresh coconut milk. which is strained twice. Always better. But in case you can’t, canned or powdered is just fine too and the benefit is it doesn’t split. I mention using thin milk, if using can then take 1/2 a cup and thin it down with stock or water and use that to cook with first, reserve the remaining thicker milk for the end. keep in mind the sweetness of each is slightly different. ** I sometimes use green chilly powder, its home made and it's really potent...one wiff and you will be sneezing the whole day. But it adds a different kind of spice, just a touch when I add in the chicken and that's all you need. Serve as you like and enjoyyy