Meat or Chicken Stew No. 4
This rich and aromatic Parsi stew combines tender meat or chicken with earthy cowpeas and sweet carrots in a luscious, coconut-based gravy. The dish features a complex spice blend of cardamom, cloves, and curry powder, balanced by the sharp tang of vinegar and the savory depth of ghee. Slow-cooked until the ghee separates, it results in a semi-dry, succulent texture that pairs perfectly with crusty bread or rotis.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Meat (Lamb, Mutton, or Chicken) (Use tender, fatty meat cut into pieces.)
- 1 cup Dried cowpeas (black-eyed peas) (Originally '0.5 tipri'. Use 'choli' beans.)
- 1/2 pound Ghee (Divided use. Originally '0.5 seer'.)
- 1/2 pound Onions (Originally '0.5 seer'.)
- 1/4 pound Carrots (Peeled and cut into chickpea-sized pieces.)
- 2 ounces Curry powder (Originally '5 tolas'. This is a large amount; adjust to taste if preferred.)
- 1 tablespoon Salt (Originally '1.5 tolas'. Adjust to taste.)
- 1 teaspoon Fresh ginger (Crushed/paste. Originally '0.5 tola'.)
- 1 teaspoon Fresh garlic (Crushed/paste. Originally '0.5 tola'.)
- 15 whole Cardamom pods
- 15 whole Cloves
- 1/2 whole Fresh coconut (Large coconut, grated.)
- 6 teaspoons Strong vinegar
- 2 cups Water (Originally '1 seer'. Plus extra as needed.)
Instructions
- 1Clean the meat and cut it into appropriate pieces. Wash twice with cold water. Peel and crush the ginger and garlic. Peel the onions and slice them very finely (like vermicelli).
- 2Pick and clean the cowpeas (choli). Wash them and boil them together with the chopped carrots in water until soft. Once tender, drain the water and set aside.
- 3Grind the curry powder, grated coconut, cardamom, and cloves together on a grinding stone (or in a blender) until very fine.
- 4In a tinned pot (or heavy-bottomed pan), heat half of the ghee. Fry the sliced onions until they turn a pale red color. Add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté briefly. Add the meat and salt, then pour in about 2 cups (1 seer) of water. Cover the pot and place it over medium heat (originally charcoal embers). If the water evaporates, add a little water to the lid (to create steam) or into the pot. Cook until the meat is tender and about 1.5 cups of gravy remains. Remove from heat.
- 5In another pot, heat the remaining half of the ghee. Fry the ground masala paste until fragrant. Add the cooked meat with its gravy, along with the boiled cowpeas and carrots. Add the vinegar. Cover and place back on low heat. Cook until the gravy thickens and the ghee separates and floats on top. The stew should be slightly loose and moist, not completely dry. Remove from heat and serve.