Chicken Curry Shirwa

Rizza Shirwa is probably the most common Assyrian meal, with a million different combinations.  Shirwa is basically a stew that we eat over rice.  They are usually made with beef (but sometimes chicken) and include all different kinds of vegetables like green beans, eggplants, potatoes (not really a vegetable but whatever), etc.  One of our favorites is made with curry, but we pronounce is karr-ee, with the rolled r's of course.  It is definitely my bro's favorite.  He has a sick love affair with anything spicy- curry, jalapenos, gardinera.

It is spicy and scrumptious! My mom either makes it with beef or chicken.  I like it either way.

We start by cooking the chicken.

While that's cooking, it is time to prepare the potatoes.  Peel, cube, and rinse.  My mother doesn't use a peeler, which I just can't understand, so of course Speedy Gonzales peeled those potatoes in record time.  

Throw the potatoes, some water, and curry in.

I wasn't joking when I said it was spicy!

We had some mushrooms in the fridge so we put them in there, too.  It is not typical to put mushrooms in there.  But I LOVE mushrooms so it adds a nice touch.

And there you have it! Some spicy shirwa for the daring bunch.

Pour it over some rice and you won't be disappointed!

Chicken Curry Shirwa

Ingredients:

About 2-2 1/2 lbs. of chicken thighs and breasts

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Salt

Black pepper

3 medium sized onions, julienne cut

3 cloves garlic, chopped very tiny

4-5 potatoes, peeled and cubed (you can add more or less depending on your preference-or leave them out altogether)

2 tablespoons hot curry

8 oz. tomato sauce

Mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Cut up chicken and rinse it.  Cook on high in a large pot with oil, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Once the chicken is not pink anymore, cover the pot and turn it on medium.

2. Peel and cube the potatoes.  Add the potatoes, 1/2 cup water, and curry to the chicken pot. Cook on medium/high.  Add the mushrooms if you would like.

3. Once the potatoes are tender, add 8 oz tomato sauce (you can put some water in there to make sure you clean out all of the tomato sauce) and mushrooms.

4. Leave on medium so everything has a chance to soak in the flavor and cook to perfection.

5. Enjoy over some hot, steaming rice!