This simple yet hearty Italian style chicken is sure to be a hit with your family. It's such a versatile dish - vegetarians can use cottage cheese instead of the chicken; and it goes well with just garlic bread, or a simple pasta!
Ingredients:
500 gms – Organic chicken (cut into thin bite sized strips)
10 – 12 pcs – Black Olive (pitted, sliced)
400 gms – Tomatoes – coarsely chopped
400 gms – Onions – coarsely chopped
10-12 pods of Garlic – crushed
8 –108 fresh basil leaves (or 2 teaspoons of dried basil)
3 teaspoons – Italian mixed herbs seasoning
1 teaspoon – paprika powder
2 tablespoons – Balsamic/ Red Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoon Virgin Olive Oil
Chilli flakes, Salt to taste
Method:
You need two kadhais/ pans for this, as the chicken and gravy can be cooked simultaneously.
1. Heat a pan, add half the oil. Add 2-3 crushed pods of garlic, chicken pieces and the balsamic vinegar, stir for about a moment, add salt, paprika and a teaspoon of the mixed herbs.
2. Stir for another 2 minutes, add the basil leaves, turn off the gas and cover the pan. The chicken is usually cooked within 5 minutes is the pieces are small, don’t overcook, or it will get hard. Keep aside.
3. In the second pan, heat balance oil, and add the rest of the garlic. Once it splutters, add the onion. Stir till translucent (about 5 minutes), and then add tomatoes.
4. Stir for a few minutes till the skin of the tomatoes starts peeling off (should take about 4-5 minutes). Take it off the heat, let cool for a few minutes, and then blitz it in the blender for about 30 seconds.
5. Put the blended mix back in the pan, stir for about 2-3 minutes before adding the balance herbs, salt and finally the chicken.
6. Add olives, and garnish with coarsely torn basil leaves.
Tips:
• Vegetarians can replace the chicken with cottage cheese – take care to reduce the cooking time of the cheese though!
• You can add cooked pasta to the completed dish and voila! You have a complete meal in itself!