A classic Emirati dish, a hearty stew featuring chicken, mixed veggies, and soaked raw bread in a homemade bezar spice mix broth.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: arabic, Emirati, middle eastern
Keyword: arabic chicken stew, chicken and vegetables stew, stew like soup
Servings: 3People
Calories:
Author: Famidha Ashraf
Ingredients
For the dough:
1cupwhole wheat flour
½teaspoonsalt
½ to ⅔cupwater
For the stew:
1tablespooncooking oil(olive oil)
2inchcinnamon stick
2bay leaf
2dried black lime(loomi)
2medium-sized red onionchopped finely
1teaspoonginger garlic paste
1tablespoonbezar spice mix
1teaspoonchilli flakes
800gramsskinless whole chickencut into 12 pieces
2tablespoontomato paste
3large tomatoeschopped into roundels
1large potatochopped into chunky wedges
2Baby marrowchopped into chunky strips
1carrotchopped into chunky batons
1green capsicumchopped into large pieces
3cupshot water
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add most of the water and gently bring together until a dough forms. Cover and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
1 cup whole wheat flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ to ⅔ cup water
Divide the dough into four and shape each ball into smooth balls. Keep covered until needed.
Prepare the stew:
Heat cooking oil in a wide-mouthed deep saucepot on medium to high heat. Add and fry the whole spices for a few seconds.
1 tablespoon cooking oil, 2 inch cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaf, 2 dried black lime
Add the chopped red onions and saute for a few minutes until translucent.
2 medium-sized red onion
Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell fades.
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
Now, add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and mix well.
2 tablespoon tomato paste, 3 large tomatoes
Add the ground spices along with a little salt and mix well.
Add the clean chicken pieces and turn the heat up. Cook stirring occasionally until all the chicken pieces turn white.
800 grams skinless whole chicken
Add enough hot water to barely cover the chicken pieces.
3 cups hot water
Scatter some of the chopped veggies in a single layer.
1 large potato, 2 Baby marrow, 1 carrot, 1 green capsicum, Salt and pepper to taste
Roll the dough balls into thin sheets (ensuring they are not larger than the mouth of the pot.
Place one dough sheet over the veggie layer. Use a wooden spoon to gently press the sides so the stew surfaces. Do this until the dough sheet is submerged in stew.
Repeat the process of the layer of veggies and a sheet of dough. Make sure to press the sides to bring the stew over the dough sheet. Does not matter what you end with because it is a stew and doesn’t need to hold shape.
Reduce the heat to low to medium, cover and let cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Open and check if the potatoes are cooked through.
Serve
Keep covered until ready to serve. With time the stew will thicken. Dig and scoop out using a large serving spoon. Serve chicken Margooga in a wide bowl with some fresh salad and yoghurt in the side for those who cannot handle spicy food.
Notes
Store chicken Margooga in the fridge. Reheat gently on a stovetop or in a microwave with water. Adjust consistency when reheating; avoid freezing for texture preservation.