My mother grew up in Karachi and her family's cook, Zaman, worked for their family for over 50 years. He was an institution all his own and one of my favorite parts of visiting Karachi when I was young. Beneath his grumpy disposition was extraordinary kindness, raw cooking talent, and incredible pride and work ethic, despite an appearance of passivity that made my grandmother want to lecture him. Though I didn't understand Urdu, hearing the back and forth between them was unmistakably charming. She always wanted to be sure the finest ingredients were picked from the market, and she was particular in how things were prepared, and I knew Zaman was basically yelling back "I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING" and she would indulge his rants and always flash an adorably innocent smile and shrug in my direction whenever she caught me staring. Though it was rare for him to crack a smile or show any emotion, I knew he was fond of me. Partly because I am sure I reminded him of my mother, whom he raised with his cooking since she was 8, and partly because I was the odd behaving American girl that cleared the table and brought her dishes into the normally off-limits kitchen while my cousins ran off, abandoning their messy plates. I had my favorite dishes of Zaman's, like his omelettes (that I still try to replicate to this day) and his cheeni roti (blistered flatbread spread with butter and sugar and rolled up). I would ask for them in that distinctly polite American way, as a favor, instead of a command like he was accustom to, and he always happily obliged. When I would cheerfully say "thank you" in Urdu he would walk back to the kitchen, shaking his head over my pathetic accent, muffling a laugh. I always looked forward to that exchange. But despite the impact Zaman had, this recipe doesn't actually originate from him. Every year Zaman would go to his village for a one month vacation and leave a substitute cook for my mother's family. Does this not totally remind of you of an episode of Downton Abbey? I picture Zaman lecturing the staff to make sure no one liked the substitute's cooking more than his. One year the substitute turned out to be quite a gourmet cook with fancy European desserts in his repertoire as he had worked for various Embassy's. One evening a dinner was to be thrown in honor of a relative visiting from Dhaka. He called the afternoon of the party and said he wanted to eat something light (as he wasn't feeling well) so my Grandmother relayed the request on to the substitute cook who happily threw together this stew. My mother said everyone was finishing his stew at dinner instead of all the heavy traditional food. When Zaman was back and my grandmother began requesting some of the substitute's recipes he became jealous and while he reluctantly obliged, he'd chide the substitute's cooking, and never grew to like the stew....but it became a family recipe.
6 Boneless chicken thigh, cut into chucks (try and buy Halal, if you live in the D.C. area try Halaco or the Lebanese Butcher, both in Falls Church)
4 carrots, cubed
1 cup frozen peas
3 russet potatoes, peeled, cubed
salt, pepper
dry mustard powder
1/4 t cumin seeds
1 t each of ginger/garlic paste
whole garam masala (small stick cinnamon, few peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, 4 cloves)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tsp butter
flour
3/4 cup milk
Boil an inch of water in a medium pot and stir in the whole garam masala and ginger and garlic paste. Salt and pepper the chicken and add chicken to the water and allow to steam for a few minutes (don't fully cook). Coat another pot in olive oil and heat on medium high. Add cumin and onions. Fry until the tips of the onion turn golden. Next add carrots and potatoes and allow to sautee for 7 minutes. If pot gets too dry add a little water and cook until the veggies are half cooked. Then add the chicken and the stock, plus another cup of water. Continue to simmer. Meanwhile melt 3 T butter in a small sauce pan and add 3 T flour. Toast it a bit and add 3/4 cup milk to make a roux. Add salt, pepper and mustard powder to taste. Pour this sauce in the pot with the chicken. Cook until veggies and chicken are tender while sauce thickens. If you want more liquid add more water or chicken stock, if you want it more thick, add some corn starch. Stew is delicious with some rustic bread.
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