I am sure you have had various styles of chicken stew and definitely have one favorite! Now try my version of chicken stew which has a secret ingredient that makes it insanely delicious and different from a typical one!
Bangalore is well-known for its always-cold weather; hence it is not uncommon for us to crave for some warm & soul-satisfying bowl of chicken stew!
That’s the very reason that this mildly spiced chicken stew has become a weekly affair in our home.
You may be thinking why a chicken stew needs to be spiced! I get it.
Stews are known to be quite bland but fortunately or unfortunately that’s not us and that is why our family-favorite chicken stew is not white in color in case you’re wondering if it’s really a stew!
What is the secret ingredient in my special chicken stew?
The barely spicy quotient of this chicken stew is beautifully complemented by the secret ingredient which I have mentioned above.
That secret ingredient is nothing but one of my favorite aromatics and that is coconut milk!
The thick, creamy and subtly sweet coconut milk perfectly balances the kick of green chilies & dry red pepper flakes which add subtle warmth to the broth of the stew.
Please do not replace coconut milk with water as then you won’t be able to taste the perfectness of this chicken stew right!
Tips for making delicious chicken stew every time
Coming to some practical tips to help you make this stew successfully in your own kitchen, my suggestion is to use small bone-in pieces of chicken which we generally use for making chicken curry.
This will ensure that your chicken stew is full of flavor even without using chicken stock.
If you prefer boneless pieces of chicken, then replace the water with chicken stock; so instead of having a combination of coconut milk and water, use a combination of coconut milk and chicken stock.
And try to use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast.
A typical chicken stew is full of veggies but I have only used potatoes as I didn’t want to do a lot of chopping.
Feel free to add what you love – carrots, green peas, babycorn, anything will do. Potatoes too taste really well with chicken stew and they make the broth thick & creamy.
This warm bowl of chicken stew feels like a blessing on those rainy Bangalore evenings when you don’t want to come out of your duvet but still desire to relish something yummy and soul-satisfying without much of a fuss! Try this and thank me later!
More healthy and tasty dinner recipes from Flavor Quotient
- Chicken – 1 kg, curry cut, skinless, bone-in small pieces
- Onion – 4, medium, finely chopped
- Green chilli – 4 to 6, chopped (adjust based on your preference)
- Dry red chilli – 4 to 6, chopped (adjust based on your preference)
- Tomato – 3, medium, finely chopped
- Potatoes – 3, medium, peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes
- Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
- Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
- Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder – ½ tsp
- Coconut milk – 400 ml (2 cups)
- Vegetable oil – ¼ cup
- Salt and crushed black pepper to taste
- Freshly chopped coriander – ½ cup
- Lemon – 1
- Wash the chicken thoroughly and drain out all the water. Take the chicken in a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of crushed black pepper.
- Give a good mix to season each chicken piece well with salt & pepper. Set the chicken aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat a wok and add vegetable oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add chopped onion. Sauté the onion on medium heat for 10 minutes until translucent.
- Add the chopped green and red chilies and give a good stir. Add ginger & garlic paste and sauté for 5 minutes until the raw smell is gone.
- Now add the seasoned chicken pieces and sauté those on medium for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pieces are brown on all sides.
- Next add the potato cubes & chopped tomatoes and give a good stir. Sprinkle the turmeric powder and Kashmiri chili powder.
- Stir fry the chicken with veggies & spices until the tomatoes soften and the potatoes develop some color, about 10 minutes.
- Now lower the heat to minimum and add the coconut milk and about a cup of water. Coconut milk thicken as it cools, so I add some water to maintain the right consistency of the chicken stew broth – neither too thick nor too thin.
- Bring the liquid to boil. Then cover the wok and let the chicken and veggies cook on lowest heat for 15 minutes.
- Uncover the wok and check the doneness of chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle about one-fourth teaspoon of black pepper powder and give a good mix. Black pepper added at the end of cooking imparts great kick!
- Chicken and potatoes should be completely cooked by now. Check the consistency of the broth and adjust it to your liking by adding more water if too thick or boiling off some excess if too thin.
- Sprinkle freshly chopped coriander leaves and give a final mix. Simmer uncovered for final 2 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and squeeze the juice of lemon over the chicken stew. Your chicken stew is ready to serve!
- Serve in individual bowls along with homemade dinner rolls and you are sorted with the most heartwarming meal of all time! Enjoy!
Great content! Keep up the good work!