Nigerian Chicken Stew with White Rice and Dodo

Ingredients

• 1000 g bone-in chicken thighs
• 3 red peppers
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 onions
• 1 scotch bonnet chilli
• 3 garlic cloves
• 15 g fresh root ginger
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 8 tbsp vegetable oil
• 300 g long-grain rice
• 3 ripe plantain

Method

1. 1

   Put the chicken in a pan with half an onion, chopped, the curry powder, thyme, crumbled stock cube and 300ml water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, then lift out the chicken and keep the stock.

2. 2

   Blend the red peppers, chopped tomatoes, 1 onion, the scotch bonnet, garlic and ginger. Boil the blend in a wide pan for 10 minutes until reduced and thick.

3. 3

   Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pan and fry the chicken pieces for 5 minutes each side until golden. Set aside, then add the remaining half onion, sliced, and the tomato purée to the pan and fry for 3 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the reduced pepper blend and fry for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens and the oil floats on top. Pour in the reserved stock, return the chicken and simmer for 10 minutes until no pink remains near the bone. Season.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, rinse the rice and simmer it in 600ml lightly salted water, covered, for 12-15 minutes until tender.

6. 6

   Peel the plantains, slice on the diagonal and fry in the remaining oil for 2-3 minutes each side until golden (dodo). Drain on kitchen paper.

7. 7

   Serve the stew straight away over the rice with the dodo alongside. Cool any leftover rice quickly.