Comfort Food: Chicken Stew
on Jan 25, 2015, Updated Sep 25, 2023
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A dish everyone needs in their back pocket – this Chicken Stew recipe is easy, comforting, made with pantry staples and requires minimal prep. Serve it with bread or roti, or pour it over steamed rice, either way, this dish is a winner!
As soon as the temperatures start to drop, this chicken stew is the first thing my family demands each year! And once you try it, I promise you’ll be too!
This is a hearty, warm, and filling stew that is really easy to put together. You don’t need any fancy ingredients, and it’s SO versatile. You can pair this chicken stew with bread, rice, and/or chapati, naan or lachha parathas for a cozy and comforting meal.
I also love making this when one of us is feeling under the weather because the warming flavors of this hot stew definitely lifts your spirits. The flavors of this chicken stew are simple, yet fulfilling and comforting, both for the stomach and the heart.
Jump to section: Chicken Stew
Why You’ll Love This Stew
- A wholesome, filling yet light and delicious stew that’s perfect for weeknight dinners.
- The wholesome ingredients makes it a great meal if you have the flu or are unwell.
- The entire recipe uses just one pan, thereby reducing post-cooking clean up.
- The chicken and vegetables make this stew super healthy, and loaded with essential vitamins and nutrients, while also adding tonnes of texture.
Richa’s Top Tips
- This chicken stew tastes a lot better when made ahead. I highly recommend making it at least few hours before to allow the flavor to settle in.
- I have used skinless, bone-in chicken thigh pieces as they remain tender and juicy throughout the cooking process. You can replace it with boneless thigh pieces if you prefer, however I wouldn’t recommend breast pieces for this recipe.
- Make sure to brown the chicken well. All of the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot after browning the chicken (called “fond”) flavors the gravy and gives it a nice deep color.
- You can customise the veggies you add to this recipe depending on preference and availability. Some other veggies that taste amazing in this recipe are bell peppers, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
The easiest way to make this stew thicker is add a little more flour when making the slurry. Alternatively, you can simmer the stew without putting on a lid for about 10-15 minutes. This will help evaporate the water and make the stew thicker.
Yes, chicken stew can be incredibly healthy especially when made at home like this with fresh ingredients. What makes a stew healthy is the addition of different veggies that along with the chicken making this a really wholesome and comforting meal.
The main difference between curry and stew is in the manner in which spices are used. Stews usually use whole spices for flavoring, where as curries use a mix of whole and spices.
This chicken stew is one of those meals you can make when you want something that’s soothing, comforting and doesn’t take too much effort. I usually serve this with a toasted bread and some salad on the side. However, you can pour it over rice or serve it with some chapati. I would really recommend making extras for this one, because even though it looks simple, it’s absolutely delicious and gets over faster than you’d think!
Comfort Food: Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 6 – 8 Chicken, pieces
- 2 teaspoons Ginger Garlic, paste
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Bayleaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon, Whole
- 6 – 8 cloves Garlic, , finely chopped
- 1 1/2 Ginger, Piece , julienned
- 1 Onion, Medium sized , sliced
- 1 cup Button Mushroom, , halved
- 1/2 cup Carrot, , sliced
- 1 cup Radish, , sliced (I used white radish)
- 2 Potatoes, medium sized , halved and quartered
- 3 cups Chicken stock, (Can be replaced with water)
- 1 tablespoon Black Pepper, Freshly ground
- Salt, to taste
- 2 teaspoons All purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Water
Instructions
- Rub ginger garlic paste and lemon juice over chicken and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a non stick pot and add the chicken pieces. Brown them on high flame for 2-3 minutes on either side. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add 1/2 tablespoon oil to the same pan. Add the bayleaf, cinnamon, ginger, garlic and sliced onions. Its important to use the same pan because the browned bits of chicken stuck to the pan help make the wonderful sauce. Saute the onions for 10-15 minutes till golden brown.
- Add mushrooms and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots, radish and the chicken. Stir for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock, black pepper and salt. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes.
- Taste to check for seasoning. Add the flour to water and mix till there are no lumps to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the pot and bring to a boil while stirring continuously. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Let the stew sit for a few minutes before serving. It tastes even better if its been sitting for a few hours or overnight. Serve warm with bread or rice.
Just tried this recipe and it was amazing! I really didn’t realize that I could cook and I’m feeling so satisfied after eating it. Looking forward to eating the leftovers tomorrow!
Keep up the amazing work and thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
Yaaay! Glad it was the comfort food you were looking for. I hope you try more recipes from the blog. I have a whole section on easy recipes for beginners which take about 30 minutes, so those should be right up your alley! Keep cooking my friend 🙂
Awww thanks so much. I plan to – I’m so excited and there are so many ideas in my head 😀
The Stew looks delicious. I am going to try it right away. Love the new look and the pictures are amazing. Love the quality of the blog now! Please keep posting.