Bowl of Tanzania Chicken Vegetable Stew
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Chicken Vegetable Stew


Tanzania   -   Mchuzi wa Kuku
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 w/rice
***
3-1/2 hrs
Yes		 This stew, showing strong influence from India, is a little more elaborate than many. In East Africa, chicken is reserved for special occasions. See also Comments
In East Africa, chicken is expensive and a hassle. It has to be purchased live, and becomes a "do it yourself" project on serving day.

1
1
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12
8
4
8
4
4
1
4
1
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4
1/3
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/4
1-1/2
1/2
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3
1
1-1/2
1/4
1/2
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ar
#
t
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oz
oz
oz
oz
oz
oz
c
oz

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cl
in
t
t
t
t
in
t
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T
T
c
c
t
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Chicken Meat (1)  
Pepper, black
-- Vegies
Tomatoes, ripe
Tomato Sauce (2)
Onions
Potatoes (3)
Carrots
Eggplant (4)
Greens (5)
Okra (6)
Habanero (7)
-- Spices
Garlic
Ginger root
Cumin
Turmeric
Pepper, black
Cloves
Cinnamon Stick
Salt
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Oil
Lime Juice
Water
Coconut Cream
Salt
-- Serve with
Steamed Rice
Prep   -   (55 min + marinade time = 2 hrs +)
  1. Cut CHICKEN into about 1 inch pieces.
  2. Massage Chicken with Black Pepper and set aside for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge.
  3. Scald TOMATOES one minute in boiling water. Quench in cold water and peel. Chop small. Mix with Tomato Sauce.
  4. Quarter ONIONS lengthwise and slice thin crosswise.
  5. Peel POTATOES and cut into about 3/4 inch cubes. Hold in cold water until needed.
  6. Peel CARROTS and cut into 3/8 inch thick drums.
  7. Cut EGGPLANTS into 3/4 inch cubes. Hold in cold water until needed.
  8. Cut GREENS into strips about 3/8 inch wide and 1-1/4 inch long. Measure is moderately packed.
  9. Trim caps of OKRAS into cones, being careful not to cut into the hollow part. Tumble with Vinegar and set aside for at least 20 minutes. Tumble now and then to keep them wet.
  10. Split HABANERO open.
  11. Crush GARLIC and chop fine. Slice GINGER very thin crosswise, cut slices into threads and chop threads fine. Grind CUMIN SEEDS. Mix all Spices items.
  12. Squeeze LIME JUICE.
Run   -   (1-1/3 hrs)
  1. Drain Potatoes well.
  2. In a coverable sauté pan (3-1/2 qt) or similar, heat Oil and fry Potatoes, tumbling until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
  3. Add Chicken to the pan and fry tumbling until lightly browned. Take care the fond sticking to the pan doesn't get too dark. Sprinkle Lime Juice over, stir, remove from the pan and set aside.
  4. Add a little oil if needed. Stir Onions into the pan and fry stirring until translucent.
  5. Stir in Spice mix and fry stirring for 1 minute.
  6. Stir in Tomato mix. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered, stirring now and then until tomatoes are soft.
  7. Drain Potatoes and stir in along with Carrots, Chicken, Coconut Cream and Water. Bring to a boil and simmer covered until Chicken is nearly tender, about 20 minutes for boneless chunks.
  8. Drain and rinse Okra well. Drain Eggplant and stir in along with Okra, Greens, 1/2 t Salt and Habanero. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and adjust liquid as needed - don't let it get too dry. Pull the Habanero if the stew is getting too sharp for you.
  9. Check seasoning and serve hot with plenty of Steamed Basmati or Jasmine Rice.
NOTES:

  1. Chicken:

      Weight is skinless and boneless. Use only Thigh and Leg Meat, never the cardboard flavored breast meat we get around here. You could also use 1-3/4 pounds skinless bone-in Chicken pieces cut to serving lengths. A razor sharp Chinese cleaver driven by a soft faced mallet is perfect for this.

  2. Tomato Sauce:

      Rather than using tomato paste called for in recipes, I like to add a convenient 8oz can of a very simple tomato sauce, which helps make up for deficient tomatoes. My favorite is Faraon Spanish Style, but other simple sauces will also work.

  3. Potatoes:

      White Rose or similar work well in recipes of this sort. Avoid Klondike Gold type potatoes - they quickly turn to mush with long cooking. For details see our Potatoes page.

  4. Eggplant:

      Select a long thin type of eggplant such as Chinese, or another variety that doesn't need to be skinned, such as purple Indian eggplants. If all you have are Globe Eggplants, you will have to skin them. For details see our Eggplants page.

  5. Greens:

      Swiss Chard is excellent for recipes of this type, but Amaranth, Cabbage, Green Bean or Sweet Potato leaves could be used. Some cooks used dried greens.

  6. Okra:

      Select the smallest, youngest Okras you can find in the bin. The vinegar soak helps keep them from falling apart in cooking, but rinse after 40 minutes or they will become quite stiff in short cooking.

  7. Habanero Chili:

      As in West Africa, the Caribbean Habanero / Scotch Bonnet chilis now dominate the hot chili segment. One will make this stew noticeably hot, but if you're from the Frozen North you might want to use half of one. For details see our African Chilis page.

  8. Comments:

      The method above is suitable for no more than a single recipe. If I were making more for a party I'd deep fry the Chicken, then the Potatoes in batches in a kadhai or wok. In fact, I'd consider doing that even for a single recipe. These steps could be done a day ahead and refrigerated. Doing the potatoes second will help clean the oil for another use - if it is a high temperature oil like Olive Pomace, Avocado or Peanut oil. If I were making this ahead for a party, I would hold the Okra and Greens until it is reheated. Stir them in and simmer 10 minutes, then pour into a slow cooker set to "keep warm" for serving.
  9. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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