Hello, my dear Hivean foodies! How are you doing? I hope that you're safe and hungry!
In today's post, I want to share with you one of my favorite Brazilian recipes, since for me it is the true meaning of "comfort food". Yes, I'm talking about galinhada or chicken stew if you prefer!
It is a very popular dish in Brazil, which is obviously made with chicken. However, since I am a vegetarian, I adapted this recipe for those who don't eat animals. And, may I tell you the truth? I think it was much tastier without chicken!
Well, let's go to the recipe.
The history of galinhada
Galinhada is a dish known since colonial times. According to scholars, the galinhada (chicken stew) originated from the Portuguese Bandeirantes who explored Brazil in search of gold. In their expeditions, chickens were easily found on farms or taken along with the horses and the whole exploration party. And since it was an easy animal to cook, it ended up becoming the main ingredient of this dish.
In Brazil it is very common to find galinhada being prepared with different ingredients. In the south of the country, for example, it usually takes bell peppers, while in the north one of the main ingredients is okra.
The choice of shimeji for this dish, in my opinion, is perfect. When prepared with the right ingredients, shimeji resembles well the taste of chicken. So, even if you're not a vegetarian, you should give a try!
Ingredients
2 cups of rice
1 package shimeji mushroom
Olive oil
2 small bell peppers
1 clove of garlic
1 onion
½ leek
½ carrot
1 tomato
1 lemon
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon saffron
1 teaspoon paprika
parsley
Seasoning for the shimeji: Basil, thyme, oregano, ground bay leaf, parsley, green onion rings, tomato flakes, red bell pepper, paprika, granulated onion, granulated garlic
Preparation
Although it seems like a lot of ingredients, this recipe is very simple and easy to make. It's ready in 30 minutes and very tasty! Ideal for the weekend. Since it's not a light dish, it can be served as a main dish without any side dishes!
The first part of the recipe, of course, is to chop all the ingredients and get everything ready. Since I live in a studio apartment and have only one cooktop, I usually heat up the pan while chopping all the ingredients.
After chopping the ingredients, it's time to prepare the shimeji-chicken.
Put a generous amount of olive oil in the pan, then the shimeji and cover it with the seasoning. Mix well and put the lid on. Let the shimeji itself release some water and absorb all the seasoning. After that, set it aside.
In the same pan, add a little more olive oil and brown the onion. Then add the garlic, the leek, the carrot, the chopped peppers, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 tablespoon of paprika, and 1 tablespoon of saffron. Mix well and let the vegetables become soft and aromatic.
Add the 2 cups of rice, mix well for about 5 minutes, and then add 4 cups of water. Cook for about 20 minutes.
When the rice looks pre-cooked, i.e. soft but a little al dente, add the tomatoes and the mushrooms, mixing well. Leave the pan ajar so that the rice finishes cooking.
As you can see, here we have still some juices from the rice cooking, but this is the perfect parte of the recipe to join the mushroom
At the end add chopped parsley and serve with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and more parsley to decorate!
ohhhhh this smell! It's so delicious! So, yes, I recommend everyone to try it! I'm sure not vegetarians will love it!
****Did you like the recipe? Leave your comment! I'll be sharing more vegetarian recipes that I love around here!