After a week of being warm in Chicago, this week winter came back. It snowed today, in the middle of April. The snow left me craving something warm and soothing, but still fresh and healthy. I decided to chop up a bunch of veggies that I had laying around and make a coconut ginger stew.
I decided to start with a homemade stock for a couple of reasons. 1. Being that it was a Saturday in quarantine and I needed a project that would take a while to keep me occupied so I wouldn’t go insane. 2. Most recipes require 6 cups of veggie stock. This always leaves me with 1/2 a carton left over, which I naturally forget about, and they always ends up in the back of the fridge. Before we were locked in I threw out 4 (4!) half used stock cartons. I decided enough was enough and going forward I was going to make my own. This recipe makes around 4 cups, just enough for the stew, but if you want some extra to freeze just double it and use a bigger pot. 3. (most important!) Its just SO much better than a carton of stock and packs a ton of flavor!
If you are on a time crunch you can totally skip making the stock and buy store bought. I typically use this one. The coconut ginger stew came out pretty spicy, but I was into it. To reduce the heat add less crushed red pepper. Enjoy!
Instant Pot Coconut and Ginger Stew with Chicken Thighs over Forbidden Rice
Ingredients
COCONUT GINGER STEW
- 1.25 lbs chicken thighs (1 package)
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 4 cups veggie stock (homemade recipe below, otherwise use boxed!)
- juice from 1½ limes (save the other half for garnish)
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used 1 teaspoon and it was spicy!) use less if you want it more mild
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15oz can full fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped with stems removed
- 1 serrano pepper (for garnish)
- 1 small handful chopped cilantro (for garnish)
VEGGIE STOCK
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (olive oil works too)
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 leek, scrubbed and chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 4 parsley stems
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups filtered water
- 2 cups cooked forbidden rice
Instructions
TO MAKE THE STEW
- Make the forbidden rice according to the directions on the package, mine took around 45 minutes. 2. To an Instant Pot add the chicken thighs, onion, veggie stock, lime juice, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric and paprika. Stir to mix all the ingredients together. 3. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn to the pressure cook setting. Cook on high for pressure for 15 minutes.4. Release the steam. Open the lid and give a quick stir. Slowly add in the coconut milk and mix it into the veggie stock. Turn the instant pot to the warm function and add in the chopped kale. Let the kale wilt in a bit until its a bright green, around 5-8 minutes. 5. Place the black rice into bowls. Place the chicken and coconut ginger broth over the rice. Garnish with serrano, cilantro and limes. Serve.
TO MAKE THE VEGGIE STOCK
- Add the oil to the bottom of a large pot. Heat on medium and add the onions. Cook until they brown a bit, around 7-8 minutes. Add the carrots and continue to cook on medium for another 5 minutes. 2. Add the leek and garlic to the pot. The leeks will turn a bright green and the garlic will become fragrant. Cook for around 4 minutes. Add the fresh thyme, bay leaves, parsley and pepper. Stir to mix the ingredients together. 3. Add the filtered water to the vegetables and stir. Turn the heat up to medium high and cover the pot. Bring to a boil. Remove the lid and let the stock simmer for an hour. Remove from heat. 4. Place a colander over a large bowl and separate the vegetables from the liquid stock.