There are days when you just don’t feel like cooking something elaborate or complicated and this chicken stew is exactly made for those days. Putting tender chunks of chicken together with a few vegetables and sauces creates a one pot meal. It’s easy; it’s comforting and good for one or a family. The use of tamarind is crucial to the right flavor of the dish but if you really can’t find any kind of tamarind, then substitute with fresh lime juice and a bit of grated lime peel.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
3 tablespoons olive oil
12 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 tablespoons tamarind paste/concentrate
1 1/2 cups water
1 medium sized onion, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 cup green beans, ends trimmed and cut in thirds
1 cup yellow corn kernels
1 Chinese eggplant, end trimmed and chopped into chunks
1/2 cup brown sugar

Method

In a medium to large sized pot, heat the olive oil on high heat. Sauté the smashed garlic for about 2 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. 

Add the onions and chicken, sautéing briefly. Allow the chicken and onions to rest for about 1 minute or so to brown nicely on one side. Gently toss and allow the other sides to rest on the heat for another 1 minute.

Spoon in the soy sauce, oyster sauce and tamarind concentrate, stirring until thoroughly combined. Pour the water to cover the chicken and allow to come to a boil. Add the vegetables, brown sugar and salt, tossing together gently.

Lower the heat to medium low to medium (depending on your stove power- you want the gentler setting but not so gentle that there’s no simmer) and simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve warm with jasmine white rice.