Persian Chicken Stew

Persian Chicken Stew

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Ingredients

For The Persian Chicken Stew:

  • 10 chicken thighs with skin and bone left on
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Rajah Coarse Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Rajah Paprika Powder
  • 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 2 large onions, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tsp Rajah Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tsp Rajah Cumin Powder
  • 1 tsp Rajah Coriander Powder
  • 5 medium plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tbsp ground almond powder
  • 750ml chicken stock
  • ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg Powder
  • ½ tsp Rajah Ground Cinnamon Powder

To Serve:

  • 4 warm Pitta bread

To Garnish:

  • A sprinkle of pomegranate seeds,
  • A sprinkle of flaked almonds
  • A sprinkle of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

  1. To start, slash your chicken thighs on the skin side, place the thighs on a plate or tray. In a small bowl, mix the salt, coarse black pepper and paprika powder together. Evenly sprinkle the blend of powders all over the thighs on both sides and leave aside.
  2. In a saucepan heat the butter and vegetable oil and lay the chicken thighs skin side down in the hot oil. Brown the thighs for 1-2 minutes then turn over and brown the other side. You can brown the chicken thighs in batches if your pan is not big enough. Once the thighs have browned all over, remove them from the pan and leave them on a plate or tray whilst you prepare the sauce.
  3. In the same pan, add in the diced onion, ½ tsp salt and the grated garlic. Fry the onions for 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat until softened. Scrape the bottom of the pan to lift off any of the caramelized flavours from when you were browning the chicken.
  4. Once the onions have softened, add in the turmeric powder, the cumin powder and the coriander powder. Fry the spices with the onions for 2 minutes.
  5. Next, add in the chopped tomatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes to allow them to warm through. Once the tomatoes are mixed in with the fried onion base, stir in the almond powder and fry for 1 minute.
  6. To loosen the sauce base, pour in the chicken and on medium heat bring to a simmer. Return the chicken thighs and any residual meat juices back into the pan. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes.
  7. When the chicken has been simmering for 25 minutes, sprinkle in the ground nutmeg and cinnamon powders, gently shake the pan and continue to simmer for the final few minutes whilst you warm your pitta bread.
  8. Once the Pitta bread is warmed, garnish the chicken with flaked almonds, pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley. Serve with the warm Pitta bread.
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