Chicken and chickpea stew recipe

Getting winter energy from a dish that is not only fulfilling but rich with nutrients is hard to find, But here we are with a delicious meal for your winter dinners- the chicken and chickpeas stew. 

The fragrance coming from this recipe along with the spices makes it a great one-pot meal for your entire family. It could be served with variations in sides, making it a heartily acceptable aromatic chicken and chickpea stew enjoyable for any age. 

Read on to know more about this recipe!!

Nutritional Value of Chicken and Chickpea Stew

Either you can call it Mediterranean chicken with chickpeas or Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew, they both are healthy, The dish is high in protein as chicken and chickpeas are great sources of proteins, The dish also has potassium and vitamins which are essential energy elements for your body. Worth mentioning is the presence of calcium and iron! Hence, you should not worry whether the recipe is healthy for your kids and old adults in your family.Chicken and chickpea stew recipe

Don’t get confused between Mediterranean chicken with chickpeas, and Moroccan chicken and chickpea stew, because they both are the same. Why some people prefer it over the other is just a matter of spices. Moroccan cuisine is known for its spices and involves a combination of Arabic, Mediterranean, and Andalusian impacts.  Chicken and chickpea stew recipe

Still, their nutritional value remains the same, One serving of chicken and chickpea stew contains 267 calories. There are 29g of proteins, 5.7g of dietary fiber, 4.1g of sugars, 21.5g of carbohydrates, 62.7mg of cholesterol, and 1.4g of saturated fat.

In terms of vitamins, there are 1068U of vitamin A and 27.2mg of vitamin C, Moreover, calcium is 92mg, magnesium is 52.3mg, potassium is 553.7mg, iron is 2.5mg and sodium is 613.4mg. 

Ingredients

To make a perfect aromatic chicken and chickpeas stew, you must know its ingredients. 

Below are enlisted all the chicken and chickpea stew ingredients one by one.

• Onion: 1 (peeled and diced)
• Carrots: 2 (peeled and cut into rounds)
• Chicken thighs: 4 (with bone and skin)
• Chicken broth: 1 cup or more if required 
• Garlic cloves: 3-4 (minced)
• Tomatoes: 1 ¾ cup (diced)
• Chickpeas: 1 ¾ cups (boiled)
• Smoked paprika: 1 teaspoon
• Cumin: half teaspoon
• Chopped cilantro: 1/3 cup
• Red bell pepper: 1 or 2 (as you prefer)
• Turmeric: ¼ teaspoon 
• A pinch of cayenne (or more if you desire)
• Extra virgin olive oil: 2 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper (as per your taste)

Procedure 

The chicken and chickpeas stew recipe needs extra care while mixing the ingredients and using them step by step. It is essential to follow these steps to get a similar Mediterranean or Moroccan taste.

Here we go with the original chicken and chickpeas stew recipe then. 

1. Heat olive oil in a pan and put chicken thighs in for frying.
2. Put some salt and pepper with a sprinkle to give them some taste.
3. Fry them on each side, roughly for 10 minutes, till you get a crispy golden color on both sides. Remember to keep the heat medium while doing so. 
4. Take out the thighs when they are golden enough and keep the same oil in the pan.
5. Add onions into the same remaining oil and soften them. 
6. Add carrots and let the onions caramelize inside with them.
7. Add garlic and keep stirring for 2 minutes to let the aroma of these chicken and chickpea ingredients take their form. 
8. Now is the time when you add diced tomatoes, bell pepper, cumin, turmeric, a little cayenne, paprika, and chicken broth into the pan. 
9. Add a little salt and pepper according to your taste. ALSO, be mindful of cayenne as it is extremely spicy. 
10. When the mixture comes to a simmer, reduce the flame and add fried chicken thighs to this pan. 
11. Cover and cook for 45 minutes and keep a check in between by stirring occasionally. 
12. Uncover the pot after 45 minutes and reduce the broth to as much amount as you need. If you feel it has reduced quite much after 45 minutes, you can add more here. 

What to serve with chicken and chickpea stew: You can add brown rice or simple boiled rice. If you want to make it a bit heavy, baked potatoes or wedges would be a good idea. A good tomato salsa salad, quinoa, and even couscous are several more options to go for!