Peanut Chicken Stew

Sometimes I don't have enough ingredients to make one recipe, don't feel like running to the store, but feel like cooking something. So, it's time to improvise. Here is my attempt at a combination of several favourite recipes, and using what I felt like cooking.

  • 2 or 3 chicken thighs / 4 to 6 drumsticks (dark meat chicken)
  • 12 C water
  • 4 bouillon cubes
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced, or thinly sliced
  • 1/2 t cayenne pepper
  • 1 T curry powder
  • 1 t ground coriander seed
  • 1 t garam masala
  • 1 t ground ginger
  • 1 t paprika
  • 2 C white rice, rinsed and drained
  • 28 oz can cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 LG onion, chopped
  • 1 LG red (sweet) pepper, chopped
  • 28 oz can cooked tomatoes (5 large), chopped, drained
  • 8 oz peanut butter

  1. Add water to large dutch oven / pot, bring to boil.
  2. Add bouillon cubes, chicken, garlic, and spices, bring to boil again.
  3. Reduce to simmer. If you desire a more healthy stew, remove the skin - as it should peel off the meat, well before Step #4. Or, you can shred the skin, with the meat, later.
  4. Cook until chicken is very tender, and meat falls off the bones.
  5. Remove chicken from pot, use 2 forks to remove bones and shred the meat.
  6. Return the meat to the pot.
  7. Add the rice, stir well, bring to boil again, stir frequently.
  8. Add beans, onion, pepper, and tomatoes, stir frequently, until rice starts to thicken. Add water as rice thickens - and stir constantly.
  9. Check rice - when chewable, add peanut butter.
  10. Stir until mixture becomes too thick to stir, and rice is cooked. When rice is tender, the stew is done.
  11. Let cool slightly, and serve. Have lots of cold beverages available, this will make you very thirsty.
  12. Refrigerate overnight, for best flavour. Kidney beans will make it rather sweet. Again, serve with lots of beverages. The cayenne pepper may make you sneeze occasionally (that's how you know that you have enough spices!), so have kleenex available.