Kenyan Inspired kienyeji Chicken

As a Kenyan, I love kienyeji chicken because of the natural intense flavour. If you are not from Kenya, kienyeji chicken is simply a free range chicken, one that has been rared on the farm and been let lose to roam around and eat what mother nature has to offer. Thus the meat often tends to be tougher than broiler chicken but much more flavourful. The ingredients that make this dish mainly kenyan, are the kienyeji chicken of course, onions, tomatoes,dhania, chili,green hohos, royco.

For this recipe, I gave it a twist with the addition of other ingredients as well as used mint leaves because they give the dish a refreshing, vibrant taste. I also hope it inspires you to explore different herbs, but please don’t go ‘kuku'(crazy) if you cant find mint leaves just use what you have.

Recipe: Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1 full chicken(cooked) see below!
• 1 large onion(chopped)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tbsp royco(original)
• 4 large ripe tomatoes(chopped)
• 1/2 red, 1/2 yellow, 1/2 green capsicums-‘hoho’ (chopped)
• 2-3 garlic cloves grated
• 1 tsp ginger grated/minced
• 1 fresh chili chopped (optional)
• 2 cups broth (your remaining broth from the boiled chicken)
• 2 Handfuls of mixed herbs(dhania and mint)
• Salt to taste

Additional ingredients to boil the chicken:

• 1 heaped tsp fresh ginger(grated)
• 1 fresh chilli(flesh slightly poked with a knife)
• 3 cups(750ml) water
• 1 full large chicken 1.5 kg-2kg(chopped)
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients listed in the ‘boil chicken’ bring to a boil and simmer for about 1-2 hrs or until chicken is soft.
2. In a sufuria(sauce pan) heat oil,add your onions saute until limp(soft)
3.  Add your ginger,garlic and fresh chili and stir well until aromatic…. Do not brown
4.  Add curry powder stir until aromatic(a few seconds)
5. Add the tomatoes stir and simmer covered until tomatoes are soft.
6. Add the royco stir to mix well.
7. Add the capsicums and chicken stir to mix well.
8. Add remaining broth,stir bring to a boil and simmer for about 15-minutes just so the flavors infuse and the stew thickens slightly.
9. Finish off with the fresh dhania and mint leaves.

If you are still craving chicken, and prefer your dinner in 30 mins time or less see my broiler chicken stew recipe.

Notes:

Remember when making the stew to use salt sparingly as royco has salt and so will the broth if you add during the boiling stage.
Depending on size of chicken I.e half-1kg you might need to limit the water addition.