Recipe of the day: Comforting chicken stew and dumplings

Enjoy comforting, tasty chicken stew with soft pillowy dumplings to enjoy on the side. This recipe comes from newbie to the food scene 19-year-old Eugenea Seroka’s dream to become a chef and this month she starts on her journey to fulfill her goal.

Inspired by South African chef, Zola Nene, says her passion for food comes from the film Ratatouille, at the age of six: “I would run off to the backyard, pull and pluck at leaves and flowers, collect empty tinned food cans and use their lids as knives and plastic caps as platters. I’d be gone for hours consumed in a culinary world in my own fantasy Italian restaurant! Later I always watched Espresso every morning to see Zola Nene cook. I was so inspired by her that in Grade 10 I took dramatic arts and consumer studies because I wanted to become a TV chef! I knew then where my heart and passion lay and that was in food. However, it hasn’t been easy considering the exploration of food was limited to the same dishes and recipes in the household I grew up in.”
 
 The talented Seroka, who comes from Daveyton, is one of five regional winners of the Capsicum Chef Talent Scout competition.

CHICKEN CURRY STEW WITH MINI DUMPLINGS
 
For the dumplings
 
Sift 6 cup flour, 1 tbsp yeast, 125 ml sugar, 1 ml salt. Mix.  Add 65 ml butter and rub in to make it a crumbly mixture. Add 250ml of lukewarm water and combine until it sticks together. Turn over onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Cover the dough and allow to proof for 30 mins.
 
For the chicken stew
 
Chop 2 onions, 1 capsicum, 2 potatoes, 3 chopped tomatoes, a handful of coriander, 80ml cashew nuts, 2 garlic cloves and 3 red chilli peppers.Marinate 8 pieces of mixed chicken portions in 60ml crushed garlic.In as bowl mix together the 2 chopped garlic cloves, 80 ml cashew nuts, 3 red chopped chilli peppers, chopped coriander, 1 tbsp garam masala, 2 tbsp dedicated coconut, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 5ml ground ginger, 2ml turmeric, 5 ml paprika and 1 tbsp tomato paste.Heat 3 tbsp oil on the stove and toast 5 cardamom pods and bay leaves for a minute. Add chopped onions and capsicum fry till transparent. Add mixed spices fry for a minute then add chicken. Cook for 10 mins then add chopped tomatoes. Allow to simmer for 15 mins.Add vegetable stock and potatoes and allow to reduce.
 
Meanwhile knock down and knead proofed bread dough on a floured surface and roll into mini dumplings. Steam each dumpling for 10-15 mins over boiling water.
 
For the salad
Mix quartered cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced onions and carrot. And dress salad.
Once the stew has reduced, serve with the dumplings, salad
 READ MORE: BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE

(Compiled by Farrah Saville)