Bengali Style Healthy Chicken stew

Chicken stew for me is more than just that. It's a feeling of warmth and reassurance that no other food offers. Whether I am unwell, feeling a little down or just want to make myself something simple and healthy, chicken stew proves to be the best companion always. 

The best part is this comfort food is not unhealthy. Low in cholesterol, diabetic friendly, low in calories and rich in protein content, it keeps you full for a long time :)

I always believe in adapting the recipe according to my preferences. Mostly such stews are made with butter to add that extra flavour. I avoid adding butter to my stew to make it more healthy for both my parents and me. It helps me cut down on extra calories, Trust me, even without the butter, it tastes heavenly. I add papaya to the stew instead of potatoes to up the nutrient factor.

Let's take a quick look at the method:

Ingredients:

250gms chicken (I like chicken pieces with bones in my stew as the bones adds extra juice to the soup)
1/4cup of masoor dal
Raw papaya diced
Carrots diced
Beans chopped
Chopped tomatoes
1 small onion
4-5 cloves of garlic
1" inch ginger
Green chillies(as per taste)
Chopped coriander
Whole Garam Masala (I used cinnamon, clove,black pepper and elaichi)
a pinch of turmeric(optional)
1 tsp of Everest Chicken masala(optional; I like using it because it gives my stew a nice taste)
a pinch of oregano
1 tsp of oil of your choice

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken using salt, turmeric
2. In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and add the whole garam masala
3. Fry the chopped onions till they turn slightly golden in colour.Add the chopped garlic and ginger
4. Add the soaked dal to the cooker now and stir fry the same
5. Now add the chopped veggies, green chillies and stir fry them
6. Add the marinated chicken along with the chicken masala and turmeric
7.  Lastly, add the chopped coriander and pressure cook for around 4-5 whistles
8. Let the steam settle down, garnish with more pepper powder, depending on taste and serve hot

You can have this lovely stew with steamed rice or with bread. I love having garlic bread with it. I often carry this for lunch as well and sometimes team it up with cheese chilli toast from Cafe Coffee Day. It tastes heavenly. 

Hope you like this recipe and do share how you make your own stew at home.I would also like to know what is the food you enjoy when on a diet.

Healthy Chicken and Egg Salad for Lunch

As 2015 comes to a close, I have made a resolution to eat healthy in the coming year. Though I don't know how long I will be able to follow this, I am trying my best.

 I guess my body needs it, given the fact that my physical activity is limited. I am mostly at my desktop in office through the day and by the time I reach home, I am almost drained out to take up any exercise. I have made a promise to myself to make some easy changes to my daily routine.

Being an extremely fussy eater, it is extremely important for my food to taste good. I am a hardcore non-vegetarian and have always disliked vegetables. But I have realized that I can't ignore vegetables if I want to eat right.

Therefore, I thought of this recipe. It was an amateur experiment which turned out pretty well.The idea of it was simple and borrowed from a scrambled egg recipe. I tossed shredded chicken, scrambled eggs and lots of vegetables with garlic,onions and tomatoes to make this healthy salad. Loaded with prteins, it keeps you full for a long time.

Healthy Chicken and Egg Salad

Lets take a look:

Ingredients:

1. 250 gms boiled chicken

2. 1 egg 

3. Chopped carrots

4. Chopped beans

5. Chopped capsicum

6. Chopped tomatoes

7. Diced Onion

8. Chopped Garlic

9. Oregano or any other herb

10. Green chillies

11. Chopped Coriander

12. Salt to Taste

13. 2tsp soya sauce

Method:

1. Pressure cook chicken for around 10mins. I used chicken with bones so that the broth can be used to make chicken soup

2. Once the chicken cools down, shred the chicken and keep aside

3. In a non stick pan, add about 1tsp of oil and stir fry the garlic, diced onions and capsicum. You may add bell peppers as well

4. Once the onions and the garlic turns pinkish brwn, add the chopped vegetables and stir fry. You can add as many vegetables as you wish

5. Add the shredded chicken and mix well

6. Use herbs as required at this phase. Add in salt and pepper as well along with soya sauce

7. I added scrambled eggs to this as well to make it a more wholesome meal. You might add only egg white as well.

8.Add chopped coriander leaves and green chillies 

Seve hot. :)