Chicken Stew for the Dieting Soul

I just got off the GM Diet (more on that later), and having decided that I positively do NOT want the weight I shrugged off to find its way back to my tummy, I got this chicken stew recipe from my sister’s mother-in-law who is a Bengali.

It’s healthy & comforting (like all soups) without being watery & bland – things generally associated with stews. The recipe is pretty simple too. You would need:

• Bay leaves
• All spice (i.e. garam masala) – Whole
• Cloves
• Salt & pepper
• Boneless chicken cubes
• Onions – Sliced
• Tomatoes – Chopped
• Ginger – Grated
• Veggies – Beans, carrots, peas. The Bengali version includes potatoes & papaya (raw I think) but we’re in a low carb zone, so we don’t like potatoes J As for papaya, I’d rather think of it as a fruit & not a vegetable. I guess you could also add other veggies of your choice such as cabbage, mushrooms etc.
• Cornflour

I’m not a stickler for measurements, and I guess seasoned cooks would have a better idea about them than me. Here’s how you can make it:

Lightly sauté bay leaves, all spice, cloves & grated ginger in a teaspoon of oil. I used olive oil but you can use cooking oil too. Or butter if you’re not counting calories :)

Add sliced onions, sauté till they turn brownish in color but don’t make them sweat. Add chopped tomatoes. After a few minutes, dump the veggies & chicken cubes (they need not be boiled), add salt & cook for sometime. Then add sufficient water, a bit of cornflour (dissolved in water) & bring the stew to a boil. Once it boils, put the lid on & simmer till the chicken & veggies are cooked and the stew has attained the desired consistency. Sprinkle black pepper powder (as desired) right before getting it off the stove & serve hot.

Voila! It’s that easy!