As a child, I wasn’t so fond of vegetables, especially carrots. I despised cooked carrots and peas more than anything and would always separate them from my food (mom would always coerce me to finish them though). I guess the change that comes in the number with age also comes with that of taste. Many days, now in my twenties, I find myself craving these things I once hated. One of the ways I love to eat veggies is in stews. I find a way to insert as much as I can find, as much as I can afford.
During the Easter celebration, I had this insane craving for carrot stew but then with the price of things, I decided to make do with what I had and it wasn’t all that bad. In fact, it was not bad at all, it was finger-licking-good!
For this recipe, I used:
- 1kg of fresh tomatoes
- 2 large onions
- ½ kg of carrots
- 1 tie of green peas
- 8 medium sized habanero peppers
- 2 medium sized green peppers
- 2 sachets of tomato paste
- 4 Terra classic seasoning cubes/ 1 tablespoon of soy/maggi sauce
- 500g of vegetable/soya oil
- Sweet corn
First I washed and diced my vegetables to preferred sizes. While I was doing this, I had my fresh tomato blended with habanero chillies and a large sized onion. I then boiled the paste till it thickened, the heat killing the sour taste of the tomato, spreading the flavourful spiciness of the chillies, and the sweetness of the onion.
I heated up the oil in my pot and then threw in my diced onions and fresh green peppers. These ones lack the hotness of regular peppers and are mostly used for their delightful aroma and taste. When these cooked for about three minutes, I added the cooked paste and green peas, then let it cook for seven minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning. Depending on the nature of your gas (mine is unpredictable and untameable) and quantity of your ingredients, you can cook for longer or shorter.
Following that, I proceeded to add my chicken stock (which was a broth mix of curry masala, onions and a pinch of salt cooked alongside chicken parts). If you are not a fan of meat, you can just use water. While that boiled, I fetched the sachet of processed tomatoes I had acquired. This is to thicken the stew and also prolong the fresh taste of the stew (for someone like me who likes to warm and eat food lol).
Before sending it into the pot, I added two table spoons full of chicken stock onto it and mixed, watering it down a little. Then I covered my pot (after stirring of course) and let it simmer. Keeping in mind my taste and preferences, the spices in the chicken broth was enough. However, our major ingredients are yet to make their way into the pot.
Once my stew boiled for some minutes, I threw in the diced carrots and crushed four cubes of Terra classic seasoning cubes over. For those who don’t have these, you can use a tablespoon full of soy/maggi sauce (or whatever suits your taste). I stirred it and then added in my boiled chicken.
Due to mom’s health, we avoid the use of too much oil and honestly, when it comes to my cooking, I really don’t like frying meat. I prefer eating them steamed and well seasoned. So I covered the stew and let it cook, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until the mix dried, and the oil floated above it. Then and only then, did I bring down my stew, uncover it to let out steam, and then pour in the sweet corn.
I served this stew on a bed of rice and hard boiled eggs. To me, it was perfect, just what I wanted to eat. The vegetables cooked just right, soft with a tinge of their crunchiness, especially the carrots. The sweet corn was only the cherry on top, and the spiciness was just right. I am not a huge fan of pepper, so I always use them in moderation.
If you happen to try this recipe, let me know what you think. You can also share with me suggestions in the comments. Do you have a simple stew/soup recipe that can be eaten by anyone from any part of the world? Do you think you can eat this?
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