Spicy Chicken Goulash

I’ve been testing out a few new mid week winners recently and this has gone right to the top ten. I found the original recipe on olive magazine’s website but I’ve tweaked it a little bit to make it suit our tastes. It’s worth cooking it in advance to let the chicken absorb all the lovely spices flavours. Serve it with pasta, rice or a lovely crust bread. A dollop of sour cream adds to the experience.

Ingredients:

600g skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized chunks

1tbsp plain flour

olive oil

1 red onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, diced 

1 large carrot, diced

1 green pepper, cut into strips

1 tbsp paprika (unsmoked)

1 dessert spoon mild chilli powder ( I use Sainsburys because I find it adds flavour not heat)

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tbsp tomato puree

400g tin cherry tomatoes

300ml chicken stock

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped (plus extra for serving)

 

Method:

Place the flour in a large plastic bag, season well and add the cubed chicken. Shake well to coat the chicken with the flour.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan (with a lid for later), and cook the chicken over a medium heat until sealed and pale golden. Remove to a warm plate and set aside whilst you cook the vegetables.

Add a splash more oil to the pan if necessary and tip in the onion, carrot and celery. Add a good pinch of salt and pop the lid on- just slightly ajar. Cook over a really low heat for about 15 minutes until softened but still brightly coloured. Add the garlic and peppers and caraway seeds and continue to cook for 10 minutes on a slightly higher heat.

Stir the tomato purée, paprika and chilli powder through the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, before returning the chicken to the pan. Add the stock and tin of tomatoes and give it all a good stir. Pop the lid on and simmer for 40 minutes.

Stir through the parsley and serve.