Pomegranate and Walnut Stew with Chicken

For certain,  this is not your ordinary everyday chicken dish! It is a rich and scrumptious  Persian stew made from pomegranate paste or syrup and ground walnuts. Let's be honest...it may not be the best looking dish out there, but I am sure if you try it once you will fall in love with it like

many of my friends have.

 So, here is what you need to make this irresistible stew.
 

Ingredients (for 4-6 servings):

2  whole bone-in chicken breasts (chicken tights, even meat balls if you prefer)

3 cups of ground walnuts (or finely chopped walnut)

about 1 cup of pomegranate syrup (the amount of pom. syrup really depends to the thickness and sourness of the syrup, you may need to add less or more)

1 large onion, cut in quarters

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1-2 tbsp. sugar if needed

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

First step to make this stew is making a nice chicken broth. If you want to use meatballs instead of chicken to make this stew, you can of course use boxed chicken broth but I recommend making your own chicken broth. It makes a big difference.

To make the chicken broth, pour 4-5 cups of water into a pot, add the chicken, onion, turmeric powder, salt and pepper. Let boil on medium heat until chicken is half-cooked. Take the chicken and onion out. Set aside the chicken while discarding the onion.

Add the ground walnut and pomegranate syrup to the broth. Cover, and let simmer on low until starts thickening (2-3 hours).
 

 

Stir while simmering and add a little bit of water if needed. Note1: This stew must be thick. Do not add too much water. Meanwhile, check the seasoning. Add more salt, pomegranate syrup, or sugar if need to. What makes this stew so irresistible is the right amount of seasoning. We want a good ratio of sour-and-sweet taste.

At this step your stew is almost ready. The only thing you have to do is to return the chicken back into the pot and let simmer on low for another hour until the chicken is completely cooked and the flavor is fully incorporated. 

Note 1: If you choose to have meatballs, after making the meatballs fry them with a little bit of oil and  add to the pot at this step.

 

 

 Note 2: This stew tastes much better when it sits for few hours or a day before serving. It will also be easier to taste and adjust the seasoning when it cools down. It also thickens as it sits. So, to get the best out of this stew I recommend to make it at least few hours and up to a day in advance and heat it up when ready to serve.
 

Serve with basmati rice and enjoy!!!