Chicken Stew Recipe (Iranian Style)

Chicken Stew Recipe (Iranian Style)

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

• 4 pieces of chicken (thighs or breasts)
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 medium onions
• 2 medium potatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon brewed saffron
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Oil and turmeric, as needed

Instructions

Step 1: Sauté the onions and add turmeric

Finely dice the onions and sauté them in oil until soft and translucent. Add turmeric and continue to stir until well combined.

Step 2: Fry the chicken pieces

Add the cleaned chicken pieces to the pot and fry both sides until golden brown (about 4–5 minutes per side).

Step 3: Add carrots and tomato paste

Slice the carrots into rings, add them to the pot, and sauté for 1–2 minutes. Then stir in the tomato paste and cook until its raw taste is gone.

Step 4: Add spices

Season with salt and black pepper. Sauté everything together for a richer flavor and color.

Step 5: Add water and simmer the chicken

Add 3 cups of water, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours until the chicken is fully cooked.

Step 6: Add saffron

Optional but recommended — add the brewed saffron 30 minutes before the end of cooking for better aroma and color.

Step 7: Prepare the potatoes

Cut potatoes into sticks and rinse under cold water to remove starch. This helps make them crispier when fried.

Step 8: Fry the potatoes

Deep fry the potatoes until golden. Optionally, sprinkle a bit of turmeric and black pepper while frying. Drain excess oil on a paper towel.

Step 9: Garnish the stew

For decoration, you can also fry some tomato slices and use them with the potatoes to garnish the stew.

Step 10: Thicken and serve

Let the stew simmer longer if you want it thicker, but don’t let it dry out completely. Serve with the fried potatoes on top, along with plain rice, barberry rice, or broad bean rice.

Tip: For the best taste, always sauté the tomato paste and use freshly brewed saffron.