CREAMY & SPICY UNIVERSAL STEW BASE

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1

   Heat a cast-iron pan or any heavy-bottomed pan over medium to high heat and add the vegetable oil

2. 2

   Add the diced sweet onion and cook until half transparent and lightly brown at the edges, about 3-5 minutes, without burning

3. 3

   Add the curry paste, vindaloo curry, or spices of your choice and cook about 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant,

4. 4

   Add the chicken or meat cut into about 0.25-inch bite-size pieces

5. 5

   Season with salt, black pepper, and chili flakes to taste

6. 6

   Cook, stirring often, until the pieces are lightly browned, about 5 minutes

7. 7

   Add the heavy cream and stir well

8. 8

   Reduce the heat to very low so the stew cooks at a gentle simmer rather than a heavy boil. DO NOT COVER!

9. 9

   Cook until the protein is fully done and tender, about 20-30 minutes for chicken bites or about 30-40 minutes for meat, depending on the sizes of the pieces, stirring occasionally

10. 10

    Top with chopped green herbs and serve hot

NOTES

This is a universal base recipe and scales easily up or down. A cast-iron pan is preferred, but any thick-bottomed pan works. Keep the heat very low after adding the cream: the stew should barely simmer, not boil aggressively, or the meat may release too much liquid and the flavor will be less concentrated. Chicken cooks faster than red meat, so adjust the final simmer time as needed. Curry paste or vindaloo curry works especially well, but you can use nearly any spice blend you like. The stew base freezes well in portions and can later be turned into a full stew with fresh or frozen vegetables or potatoes.