downsizingnow48
Elite Member
This is real country cooking but from West Africa. Both our girls went to Peace Corps in West Africa and this is something they both liked a lot. I figured out how to make it from talking with them and the internet. There are variations. Can use beef or mutton or fish instead of chicken, or make it vegetarian. The vegetables depend on what is available in the village at the time. Plaintains and potatoes can be used instead or along with the veggies listed below.
It takes about 2 hours and much of that time you will be busy.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts cut into 1" chunks
- peanut oil for searing chicken and frying onions
- tomato paste 4-5 tbsp
- 4 large tomatoes chopped. If I don't have my own, I use the heirloom types from farmers markets that actually taste like a tomato.
- 4 garlics chopped
- 2 onions chopped
- 1 or 2 bay leaves
- vegetable stock 1-4 cups (use what you need to top up the water when cooking veggies see below).
- rice 2 cups. I use short grain, it cooks up softer than long grain.
- medium organic carrots, 2 or 3, sliced lengthwise and cut into 2" pieces. Don't use the big woody carrots.
- small black Africa style eggplants. These are about 2" diameter and 6" long. 2 or 3 of them. Much tastier than the huge purple ones. often found at farmers markets. cut into 2" chunks.
- pumpkin. hard to find usually but I use a small green hard squash that looks exactly like a pumpkin except it is green. but the inside is same as a pumpkin. need about 3 cups of 1" chunks.
- cabbage. there are small specialty cabbages available that have more taste than the big round ones. I use about 6 leaves, torn into 2" square pieces.
- green chilies. serrano or jalapeno or both. 1 to 4 depending on how hot you want it. Remove stems and seeds, cut into thin strips (these will be about 4 in long and 1/4" wide).
Make the rice first.
Rinse until all the cloudiness is gone, takes a while. Then let soak for maybe 20 min. Then put in a pot, just cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 20 min or so. Then set it aside for now.
Now the chicken.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. It has to be seared on high heat. I use an outside propane griddle about 16x24". This allows all of it to be seared at the same time and gets really hot so does a good job. Sear until medium to dark brown. Inside has to be soft and juicy. Use as much peanut oil as you need to keep the chicken sizzling well. Take it off the griddle and set aside.
Now the onions and garlic.
Spread on griddle where the chicken just was. Sprinkle with peanut oil. Cook until just turning brown. Take off the griddle and set aside.
Now the veggies.
Put the chunks of squash/pumpkin and eggplant and bay leaf in a pot, just cover with water, get it boiling, cook for 4-5 min.
Put in the chile strips and cook some more, another few minutes.
Put in the carrot pieces and the torn up cabbage leaves, cook a while longer.
Put in the vegetable (or chicken) stock.
Add the chopped up tomatoes and the tomato paste.
Now put it all together.
Get the pot of veggies boiling and add the rice one large spoon at a time making sure it does not clump up.
Now add the seared chicken. You want water to barely cover.
Simmer (covered) at very low heat for a short time, 10-20 min at most.
Then turn the heat off and let it sit for a while, maybe 15-30 min.
Now it is ready. If you can find Ethiopian sour flat bread, put some of that under the stew to soak up the juices.
It takes about 2 hours and much of that time you will be busy.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts cut into 1" chunks
- peanut oil for searing chicken and frying onions
- tomato paste 4-5 tbsp
- 4 large tomatoes chopped. If I don't have my own, I use the heirloom types from farmers markets that actually taste like a tomato.
- 4 garlics chopped
- 2 onions chopped
- 1 or 2 bay leaves
- vegetable stock 1-4 cups (use what you need to top up the water when cooking veggies see below).
- rice 2 cups. I use short grain, it cooks up softer than long grain.
- medium organic carrots, 2 or 3, sliced lengthwise and cut into 2" pieces. Don't use the big woody carrots.
- small black Africa style eggplants. These are about 2" diameter and 6" long. 2 or 3 of them. Much tastier than the huge purple ones. often found at farmers markets. cut into 2" chunks.
- pumpkin. hard to find usually but I use a small green hard squash that looks exactly like a pumpkin except it is green. but the inside is same as a pumpkin. need about 3 cups of 1" chunks.
- cabbage. there are small specialty cabbages available that have more taste than the big round ones. I use about 6 leaves, torn into 2" square pieces.
- green chilies. serrano or jalapeno or both. 1 to 4 depending on how hot you want it. Remove stems and seeds, cut into thin strips (these will be about 4 in long and 1/4" wide).
Make the rice first.
Rinse until all the cloudiness is gone, takes a while. Then let soak for maybe 20 min. Then put in a pot, just cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 20 min or so. Then set it aside for now.
Now the chicken.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. It has to be seared on high heat. I use an outside propane griddle about 16x24". This allows all of it to be seared at the same time and gets really hot so does a good job. Sear until medium to dark brown. Inside has to be soft and juicy. Use as much peanut oil as you need to keep the chicken sizzling well. Take it off the griddle and set aside.
Now the onions and garlic.
Spread on griddle where the chicken just was. Sprinkle with peanut oil. Cook until just turning brown. Take off the griddle and set aside.
Now the veggies.
Put the chunks of squash/pumpkin and eggplant and bay leaf in a pot, just cover with water, get it boiling, cook for 4-5 min.
Put in the chile strips and cook some more, another few minutes.
Put in the carrot pieces and the torn up cabbage leaves, cook a while longer.
Put in the vegetable (or chicken) stock.
Add the chopped up tomatoes and the tomato paste.
Now put it all together.
Get the pot of veggies boiling and add the rice one large spoon at a time making sure it does not clump up.
Now add the seared chicken. You want water to barely cover.
Simmer (covered) at very low heat for a short time, 10-20 min at most.
Then turn the heat off and let it sit for a while, maybe 15-30 min.
Now it is ready. If you can find Ethiopian sour flat bread, put some of that under the stew to soak up the juices.
