Nigeria Chicken Stew Popular Christmas Day Food In Nigeria

chicken

🥗Healthier: turkey

💰Cheaper: chicken thighs

Turkey is leaner while chicken thighs are more economical.

vegetable oil

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Coconut oil adds flavor while canola oil is budget-friendly.

scotch bonnet peppers

🥗Healthier: jalapeños

💰Cheaper: bell peppers

Jalapeños provide heat with less intensity, while bell peppers are milder.

chicken stock

🥗Healthier: homemade broth

💰Cheaper: water with seasoning

Homemade broth is healthier, while water with seasoning is cost-effective.

Wash the chicken and cut it into preferred sizes.

Marinate the chicken with a combination of peppers, greens, spring onions, and spices; massage the marinade into the chicken.

Cover the chicken with film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

After marinating, transfer the chicken to a pot without adding liquid and cover it to cook for 5 minutes until it releases stock.

Rinse the bowl containing the marinade, add water to the chicken, stir, and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the chicken is properly cooked.

Drain the chicken stock and set it aside; prepare to fry the chicken.

Heat enough vegetable oil in a pan and fry the chicken until it is very dry on the outside but remains soft and moist inside, frying in batches if necessary.

Use some of the oil from frying the chicken to fry chopped onions for about 3 minutes.

Add dry thyme and curry powder to the onions and fry for 2 minutes to build flavors.

Roast tomatoes and peppers before blending them into a smooth purée; add to the frying onions.

Continue frying the stew until most of the water content has dried up and oil floats on top, indicating it's ready for the next ingredients.

Season the stew with chicken seasoning and seasoning cubes; adjust salt to taste based on the chicken stock.

Add the reserved chicken stock to the stew and continue cooking, stirring occasionally.

Add carrots to the rice and stir until properly incorporated.

After about 5-8 minutes of cooking the stew on low heat, add the fried chicken to the stew for flavor.

Serve the chicken stew with rice and coleslaw made from shredded cabbage, carrots, and diced cucumber.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary