Autumn Chicken Stew

Sackville's Note:

I adapted this recipe from one that appeared in BBC Good Food magazine and loved the rich, earthy flavours it produced. The original inspiration for this dish apparently comes from Tunisia and it certainly reminded me of some African stews I have had. The changes I made were to use butternut squash instead of pumpkin, fresh ginger instead of ground and two cans of tomatoes instead of one. I also used my chili olive oil, which is stored in a jar with hot chillis to give it some bite, but if you don't have any spicy oils to use, you could add in a bit of chili powder, cayenne pepper or some harissa. This is a very adaptable recipe so have fun playing with it.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 500 g pumpkin or 500 g butternut squash
• 4 tablespoons chilli-flavoured olive oil
• 1 large onion , chopped
• 2 inches fresh ginger, freshly grated or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts , chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 (400 g) cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 -4 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 (400 g) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons fresh coriander , chopped
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch , mixed well with (optional)
• 4 tablespoons water (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel the pumpkin or squash.
2. Remove the seeds and any fibrous bits and then cut into bite-sized pieces.
3. In a large bowl, heat the oil and fry the onion for 3-4 minutes.
4. Stir in the cinnamon and, if using the ground ginger, stir that in too.
5. If you are using fresh, it will be added later.
6. Cook for a couple more minutes and then add in the chicken.
7. Fry until the chicken is browned slightly on all sides.
8. Add the tomatoes and sugar.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper if you like, although I don't feel the dish needs any, and then add the chickpeas and pumpkin.
10. Make sure the dish is evenly mixed and then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.
11. If you are using fresh ginger, add it in about half way through this process.
12. Once the pumpkin is cooked, depending on how runny you like your stew, you may want to thicken it up with a bit of cornstarch and water.
13. Just mix the two together and stir in the stew and leave for a couple minutes to thicken.
14. Stir in the chopped coriander just before serving.

Reviews

[Kitchen__Princess]

Excellent! Didn't use flour to thicken but wouldnt change a thing! Used fresh ginger instead of ground and didnt have chili oil so use a little chili powder. Easy, tasty, healthy, one-pot meal!

[Chef #1004906]

This is my favorite fall/winter stew. I add chicken broth to make it go further. I often bring it to potlucks, but always make sure there is some in the freezer for me!

[newmama]

This was good, perfect for a fall dinner. I didn't have chili flavored olive oil, but I did use some crushed red pepper in the oil. I used butternut squash instead of pumpkin. I will make this again!