After two whole of months of regaling in a house brimming with lively conversation and spilts of laughter, amidst the usual occasional rolling of the eyes of course, I finally find myself in an empty one. My parents recently left after enjoying a what I’d like to believe, a blissful vacation with us. With them, my sister - who for the duration of their stay moved in bag and baggage, went too. And if that was not enough, Hubby Dear had to take his business related trip within days of their departure. Which leaves me fending for myself.
But of course, like most artistic types, I use that time to dwell in my creativity. I can sleep as late as I want to, watching reruns of ‘What Not to Wear’ (what is it with that show that I can never get enough of?), work on my writing commitments into the wee hours of the morning, and the best part yet, experiment with food and test new recipes. Which is not to say that I look forward to this time, but it’s much easier getting rid of a recipe gone horribly bad and turning to a cup of fruit yoghurt for dinner rather than trying to convince a famished husband to do the same.
I woke up this morning with a deep longing for some good comfort food. So after a quick breakfast of coffee and toast (yes, I know, how boring!), I decided to head out and see what I could find of fresh produce. As I strolled down the aisles of fresh fruits and greens, ideas kept popping into my head. One look at the abundance of fresh mushrooms reminded me of a sinfully delicious chicken and mushroom stew I had recently. It was warm and comforting, a treat for a lonely week night. The short flashback was all I needed to add it to my basket. Once the mushrooms were in, my hands just moved to pick up the rest of the ingredients. The pot was already simmering in my head, and by the time I got home, I could already taste it.
CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS
Prep time: 30 min | Cooking time: 30 min | Serves: 24 chicken drumsticks
12-15 baby portobello mushrooms, quartered
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp crushed black pepper
2 tbsp light cooking oil
salt to taste
fresh coriander leaves, chopped for garnish
water, as requiredMARINATE chicken with salt, turmeric and chilli powder, and set aside for half an hour.
HEAT oil, and saute onions and garlic till fragrant. Add in mushrooms and fry till lose moisture and turn brown.
ADD chicken, cumin powder and crushed black pepper, and mix well to incorporate spices. Let chicken fry for 5-10 minutes, turning once, till it starts to brown. Add about a cup of water, cover, and let simmer till chicken is cooked through. Add more water if it begins to dry up.
GARNISH with fresh coriander, and serve with warm bread and a light salad.
September 6th, 2007
HI,
this is a easy and lovely recipe. This is a must try on my list.
September 6th, 2007
That looks really good - nice job! My comfort food is pasta and meat sauce…really simple and satisfying.
September 6th, 2007
I agree, this looks like perfect comfort food!
September 6th, 2007
Simple and hassle-free..ideal for a weekday!:)
September 6th, 2007
The chicken looks delicious, even though I’m a vegetarian myself. I’m sure my family would love this, chicken and mushrooms - both things they love. Will give it a shot!
September 6th, 2007
Looks just splendid. Great for a cool fall day!
September 6th, 2007
Hi Meena! Would you believe that just this week I made this same dish but used sweet green peas instead
I still have some in the fridge so you know just looking at your pic makes me want to go and heat up some 
September 7th, 2007
Yeah good comforting food.
Well atleast you are enjoying your time alone.
When i husband is aways i too love my time alone, till my daughter is back from school
September 7th, 2007
There was a definite chill in the air in my part of the country this morning, and I’m ready to cozy up to something warm and different…and this recipe has all those good elements! Thanks, I’ll give it a try this weekend
September 10th, 2007
Simple and easy to make dish ..perfect for a weekday ! and yes I totally agree with you that its easier to experiment when one is all alone ….u can be more creative and experimental
September 13th, 2007
This looks yum…I think I’ll amke it this weekend! Will let you know how it turns out!
September 23rd, 2007
Great website….different recipes…amazing food photography….:)…
May 6th, 2008
This was so yummy! I made it for my family tonight and my 4 & 5 year olds devoured it. My husband just returned from yet another business trip to India (he goes every few months) and said it was very tastey. That’s saying a lot since he’s been there for the past three weeks! We served it over steamed brown rice.
Mmmm!
I have very little experience cooking dishes from India so this was an easy “first try” and I’m eager to try more of your recipes!!! LOVE your website! - Fer
Glad you and your family enjoyed it Fer! I love mushrooms, and this combination was just delicious I simply had to share!
March 3rd, 2009
My husband and I just finished devouring this recipe. I don’t like Egyptian bread except with Egyptian food so I made rice instead of bread. I didn’t know what rice to make so I just sauteed some onions and then added a table spoon of chopped fresh coriander and just a little pinch of chopped fresh rosemary, added water, brought to a boil and added salt and half a teaspoon of turmeric. And served that with the chicken. Oh this chicken and mushroom recipe is extremely good! I only put half the amount of red chilli powder, but the back pepper kind of made it a bit overwhelming for me, I’m not too used to hot dishes. I love indian food SO much, but too hot ruins it for me sometimes xD
Nevertheless, this is a brilliant recipe. Did you come up with this or is it a national Indian recipe?