benazir's blog

Chicken Paprikash My Way

When I made this dish I got so very emotional. I had a couple of friends that were very dear to me named Elfriede and Endre. Also Mr. Riaz was extremely fond of them too as well. Elfriede I met before I became Muslim. She went to the same church my dad attended and lived near each other. She was from Bavaria also and just like my mom she grew up in Germany under Nazi occupation.

Endre was from Hungary and also was a gem. They knew about my troubles with my family when I was growing up and can very well relate to me. They even got annoyed with my dad. They was more then thrilled I kept up with my German. Elfriede was an amazing German cook too as well. She was the one that taught me how to make spetzle.

I told Riaz I think they could tell I was making this yummy dish and this was the first time ever I made chicken paprikash. Elfriede and Endre told me Hungarian food is extremely salty. Most European dishes are not diabetic friendly sadly.

I told Mr. Riaz I wish Elfriede and Endre was here. They would jump for joy I think that I am trying out this dish for the very first time. You will need 1 lb of chicken on the bone and with the skin in tact. This is a must for the most optimal flavor.

Fist add 4 cups of water in to a coldero and place a trivet and the washed unseasoned chicken inside and place the lid on top. Turn the heat to low and set timer for 40 minutes. Check the chicken and it is slightly pink and repeat process for another 40 minutes.

Remove chicken off the trivet. Take trivet out and empty the stock in to another bowl. Wash and dry coldero you cooked your chicken in and place it back on the stove on high heat. Add 1/4 cup of either olive, corn, canola, grapeseed, sunflower, vegetable, corn or avocado oil to the coldero. Add 2 pats of butter and let melt.

Caramelize either 1 onion or shallot that has been chopped. Add 3 cloves of garlic minced, 1 pinch of either sea salt, pink salt, kosher salt, or vegtea seasoning, 3 pinches of paprika, 1 pinch of peppercorns ground coarsly, 1 pinch of red chili powder.

Take the chicken by this time adding it back and coating these pieces with the spicy mixture in the coldero and removing the only chicken this time once more. Add 1 red chili. Chop either 1 red or orange bell pepper or banana pepper or Cubanelle pepper, I used Cubanelle. Add the stock that came from steaming the chicken to the pot and stir.

Boil 4 liters or 1 gallon of water on high heat in another pot by bringing it to a rapid boil for making egg noodles as part of this dish according to package directions. Can also be served with rice too.

While noodles or rice is cooking then take a small bowl and add 1/4 cup of either sour cream or plain desi yogurt and whip it until smooth. Add 2 tbs of cornstarch and whip vigorously until it is a smooth consistency. You may add 3 tbs of water and mix some more and add this to the coldero and mix and cook until it is thick and place the chicken back inside for the final time and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Drain the noodles after it is done in a colander and rinse the noodles with cold water to stop them from cooking and remove most of the starch. Turn the heat off the chicken Paprikash and add this over the noodles or rice. If you want a foolproof method to cook rice here it is, Plain Jasmine Rice Etc. This will take the mystery out of cooking rice for you I hope.

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