When you want something quick and light, but that still packs a punch in terms of flavour, look no further than this chicken and pea stew. Perfect in spring – or when you’re just dreaming of spring!
In spring and summer, I prefer my food light and simple. With a bounty of vegetables at the peak of their season, much of it happens to be vegetarian.
If meat is involved, the same formula applies: light and simple. Clean flavours, with plenty of fresh, seasonal vegetables alongside.
Last week, I couldn’t help but buy a kilo of podded peas from the weekly market. Before moving to Turkey, I always used to walk past the little packets of green garden peas, opting instead for something a little sexier.
Recently, however, I’ve taken a liking to the sweetness they add to many dishes. As with most things food, if you don’t like something, the most likely reason is you just haven’t figured out how to do it properly yet.
Peas + chicken dish
The peas work really well with chicken. For this dish, I’ve added a handful of spices typical of the Middle East – cinnamon, coriander, cumin – to really bring some flavour to the chicken.
The sweetness and slight crunch of the peas provide a wonderful contrast that makes the dish both lighter and more wholesome at the same time.
Sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but try it and I’m sure you’ll get what I mean.
I happened to have a small amount of leftover chickpeas lying around, so I chucked those into the pot as well. You don’t have to – they neither hurt nor elevate the dish.
Serving suggestion
Serve this with a good portion of rice – the Turkish way of frying a little broken pasta in butter before adding the rice works particularly well here.
A simple salad wouldn’t go amiss either, but is certainly optional.
The recipe serves two, but can easily be multiplied to serve more.
Chicken and pea stew for spring
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, I use mild extra virgin
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- ½ red chili, thinly sliced (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 300 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-size pieces
- 150 g green peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 handful cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained if from tinned (optional)
- 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper)
- ½ lemon, grated zest and juice
- water
- salt and pepper
How I make it
- Heat a thick based pot or pan over a medium heat. Fry the onions in olive oil, stirring regularly, until softened but not browned, 10–12 minutes.
- Add the chili (if using), garlic and spices and fry for another couple of minutes, continuing to stir regularly.
- Turn up the heat and add the chicken. Fry until the chicken starts caramelising, stirring regularly.
- Add water to nearly cover the chicken, (100-200 ml/⅖–⅘ cup), depending on the size of your pot or pan, and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the peas, chickpeas (if using) and chili flakes. Gently mix and simmer until the peas are done, 3-4 minutes. The peas should still have a slight bite to them.
- Add lemon zest and juice. Season. Serve warm.
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One Response
I’m certainly going to try recipes, I love Turkish, when we are in Didim, because of lock down, we haven’t been able to go, I miss the food, but I try to buy from Asian, shops, and add lots of herbs and spices to food, I look for authentic foods, not Weston recipes .