Fiddler’s Favorites Episode 28: Indira Koch's Chicken (or Lamb, or Vegetable) Stew

By Desirée Ruhstrat: Today’s Fiddler’s Favorites is brought to us by the wonderful violinist Indira Koch. Indira is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and she was first prize winner in the International Music Competition "Citta di Stresa" in Italy, as well as a winner of the Artist International Awards in New York. She has appeared in Carnegie Hall and toured in Europe, India, Japan, and North and South Americas. In 2010 Indira and her husband, renowned cellist Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, founded Metamorphosen Berlin Orchestra. The musicians of the orchestra are members of leading orchestras in Berlin, reputed chamber musicians or winners of international competitions. In April 2017 their second CD, Serenade, dedicated to works for strings by Peter Tchaikovsky, received high acclaim internationally and was awarded the Melomano de Oro in Spain. I loved this quote from the Australian Magazine, Limelight: "In addition to being instrumentalists at the top of their game, Wolfgang and Indira are raising enough kids to start a peewee soccer team." They and their four children live in Berlin with their new dog, Luna. Indira shares with us today her delicious Tante Laureen’s Stew, and I would like to give a special thanks to filmmaker Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt for helping create the video. Enjoy! Tante Laureen’s Chicken (or Lamb, or Vegetable) StewIngredients:

• 8 Chicken legs, skinless, about 1 kg
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Oil
• 1 Onion, 1 large, sliced
• Ginger, about 1 inch, sliced
• Green chili, 1, optional for a little heat
• Cinnamon stick,1 - 2 inch
• Bayleaf, 2
• Cardamom, 4- 6 pods, lightly crushed
• 3-4 Tomatoes, chopped
• Carrots, 3-4 cut into 1 inch pieces
• Potatoes, 2-3, cut into quarters
• Peas, 1/2 to 3/4 cup, fresh or frozen
• Chicken or Vegetable stock – fresh or canned
• Garnish: Fresh Coriander, (or any herbs you prefer) to taste, chopped

Variations:

• Lamb, 1 Kg, lean, cubed
• For a Vegetable Stew you can use a mixture of Tofu, cauliflower, bell peppers and any other vegetables.

Cooking Instructions:

• Lightly dust the chicken pieces with a mixture of the flour, salt and pepper
• Cook the chicken pieces until brown on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• In the same pot, add a little oil if necessary, and sauté the onions, add the ginger, cinnamon, chili, bay leaf and cardamom. Scrape the sides and add a little stock if necessary.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes
• Add the chicken pieces and enough stock to cover the pieces.
• Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
• Add the vegetables and continue to simmer until the chicken and the vegetables are done.
• Before serving, discard bay leaf and cinnamon if desired
• Garnish with chopped coriander and serve on a bed of rice

Enjoy!