2 Stew Recipes That You Shouldn't Miss In The Winter Season

We all love a bowl full of piping hot stew with some fresh buns, tandoori roti (flatbread) or dinner rolls! The weather is cooling down as winters knock on our doors. It’s that time of the year again when the cold chills our bones, we crave all the hot beverages and blankets are our best friends!

Imagine it’s a cold winter’s night, you’re with your family inside a cozy house, around the dinner table and you are served a fragrant bowl of steaming hot stew. What else could be described as heaven! That being said, let’s discuss 2 of our favorite stew recipes that you will love to cook and enjoy eating with your friends and family this winter!

What Is Stew?

You wouldn’t believe it if we told you that stew was never a rich man’s supper but a poor soul’s meal. With time, the dish, its versatility and nutritional value caught attention of the world and its popularity overgrew financial status in the society.

The word “stew” comes from the word “stoved.” This means to boil a small amount of liquid over a long period of time. The word is also used to mean to cook in liquid in a large pan for a long time over low heat. Stew is a traditional meal that is popular during the winter months because of the cold weather. It is also easy to prepare because it doesn’t require many cooking skills. Stew is typically made with mutton, lamb or chicken that has been cooked in liquid. It was probably first cooked as a way to conserve food in the days before refrigeration. 

Stews are often thickened with flour or cornmeal. They are also often seasoned with onions, garlic, herbs and spices. Some people serve stew over rice. It is common to serve stew during the winter because it’s a good meal to use up extra leftover vegetables and preserved meats from the summer.

Stew Is The Best Dish For Winters!

Stew is eaten piping hot and thus is generally consumed in winters or places with extremely cold temperatures. But why so? There are several reasons why stew is considered to be best suited for winters:

1. Easy To Cook
2. Uses all the leftover meat & veggies,cooked together
3. Uses a lot of whole & powdered spices to flavour the stew curry. This helps to raise the body temperature & makes for a spicy meal.
4. Highly nutritious, provides the body ample amount of energy for the harsh season.

Let’s Broth Some Delicious Stew

We shall cover 2 of the best stews that you can cook this season: The highly nutritious Vegetable Stew and the best Chicken Stew, packed with health, nutrients and deliciousness.

Fire the stove, shall we!? 🔥

Vegetable Stew

If you’re looking for a hearty and delicious vegetable stew recipe, this is the perfect one for you! This stew is packed with colorful vegetables, and it’s sure to warm you up on a cold winter day. It’s easy to make, and it will quickly become a family favorite!

Ingredients:

• 900ml vegetable stock
• 900ml water
• 4 medium potatoes, cut into cubes
• 4 medium tomatoes, cut into smaller cubes.
• 5 carrots, peeled and cut
• 600ml of cooked lentils
• 1 bottle gourd (Lauki), cut into thick pieces
• 2 to 3 Ridged gourd (Turai), cut into thick pieces
• 1 bunch of spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 cups corn, canned or fresh.
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons black pepper

The Vegetable Stock

Save money and scale back on  waste with home-cured broth? It’s simple & efficient. The idea here is to store and freeze various vegetable peels and tops (like onion peels, carrot peels, celery heads, etc.) until you have enough for a broth. Then just boil leftovers in water till it reduces, strain and you’re done. 

The goal of using leftovers instead of whole veggies is to salvage whole veggies for scenarios where you actually eat them instead of cooking them and just throwing them away.

Veggies that you should use for the broth are:

• Onion skins 
• Carrot peels
• Celery tops
• Sweet potato skins
• Parsnip skins
• Leek greens
• Mushroom stems
• Fennel tops
• Herb stems like coriander, mint, curry leaves.

Stew Instructions:

1. In a large stock pot or a heavy bottomed pot, add olive oil & saute half of the garlic & sliced onions till translucent.
2. Pour vegetable stock and water and heat over medium-high heat. 
3. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, lentils and carrots and cook for 25 minutes. 
4. Add Lauki and Turai slices, cook for 10 minutes. 
5. Add corn and spinach, cook until spinach has lost most of its toughness. 
6. Add extra water if the stew has thickened a little.
7. Add salt & pepper to taste.
8. Add a few drops of lemon juice.
9. Serve hot with toasted buns or dinner rolls.

Creamy Chicken Stew

This creamy chicken stew is a delicious and easy recipe to make. The stew is made with chicken, potatoes, carrots, and onions simmered in a creamy sauce. The finished stew is perfect for a cold winter evening.

Ingredients

• Olive oil or any neutral cooking oil. 
• Chicken Boneless
• Butter
• Onion, carrots, spring onions
• Fresh Garlic (garlic powder can be substituted)
• Oregano and thyme – Use fresh or dried.
• White wine (optional, 
• Flour (atta) – perfect for thickening the stew.  
• Potatoes (cut into medium cubes)
• Bay leaves (tejpatta) – dried or fresh. 
• Chicken stock – fresh or made from chicken stock cubes
• Fresh Cream
• Fresh Dhaniya
• Salt and pepper 

Stew Instructions:

1. Cook the chicken in a large heavy bottomed pot on the stove until browned on both sides, and then remove.

2. Cook the onions, carrots and  spring onions until softened. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and thyme. Then add the wine. Sprinkle in the flour and cook until absorbed.

3. Add the broth, potatoes, bay leaves, and chicken. Simmer until the potatoes are tender and the broth is thickened. Discard the bay leaves, add fresh cream and then stir in the coriander.
4. Let it rest for 10 minutes with the lid on before serving.
5. Serve piping hot with stir fried vegetables, buns, rumali roti or dinner rolls.