Warm up the last days of winter with a deliciously tasty chicken stew

Our winter has been quite a surprising one this year, with cold days, relatively warmer days and a vert unexpected cold front that brought some of us snow! Of course on these days we are all in the mood and ready for a warm and comforting meal and what better way to fend off the chilly days than with a hearty plate of chicken stew.

Mama Engelina Molete  forms part of Clover Mama Afrika, a project that identifies women that are contributing to their communities and provides them with income-generating skills. To honour her and all mamas, the team developed a cookbook that is a collection of treasured, traditional South African recipes called Clover Mama Afrika’s Manna.  

Mama Engelina gave up her high-profile job as a qualified project manager when she realised that her passion lay with community development. She’s never regretted this decision. At the Lejwe La Thuso Centre in Dobsonville, she provides an internet café and presents skills development training that include cooking and baking courses. The bakery employs four bakers and has been an enormous success, so much so that a delivery vehicle was bought from the profits.

Mama Engelina also runs a training centre where people are taught how to use computers and do administrative planning. She has 114 children and 78 elderly residents in her care, a responsibility that she takes on with her signature energy.

Her food garden project feeds 185 families and school children, and she has trained community members who help out on a regular basis. Some have even started their own gardens to reach more people in need.

In July 2022, her Centre was able to help a family that lost their house in a fire. Mama Engelina and her team provided disaster relief by buying beds and replacing the doors and roof with money made from the bakery.

Mama Engelina is a well-loved figure in the community, not only as a provider and carer, but also as the woman who bakes the best Chelsey Buns in town.

Skills

Cooking and baking

Mosaic  

Mama Engelina Molete’s Chicken Stew 

Ingredients:

1kg Chicken

3 Medium sized onions, sliced

4 Garlic cloves, crushed

15ml Ginger powder

15ml Origanum/thyme

5ml Rosemary, optional

1 Bay leaf

15ml Curry

45ml Seasoning powder to taste

500 – 750ml Water

2 Fresh tomatoes

3 Large mixed peppers s

100ml Vegetable oil

Chicken stock

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Place the cleaned, cut chicken into a pot, add 2 chopped onions, garlic powder, ginger powder, origanum or thyme, dried rosemary (optional), curry powder, seasoning powder and salt to taste. Add a little water.
2. Cook the chicken until tender and fry/grill at 180°C, then set aside and reserve the liquid (chicken stock).
3. Blend the tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and ginger. Pour into a pot, put on heat to reduce excess water. Set aside for later use.
4. In another large pot, heat up the vegetable oil, add the other chopped onion, add the bay leaf and tomato and stir-fry for 8 minutes.
5. Pour in the boiled down tomato-pepper mix and cook for about 25 minutes or until the tomato loses its sour taste.
6. Stir constantly to prevent burning at the bottom.
7. Add the chicken stock, origanum/thyme, curry powder, and seasoning powder to taste.
8. Chicken stew can be served with almost anything.