Chicken Stock forms the base of a lot of dishes like the hot and sour chicken soup. It adds depth and flavor to all dishes made using it.
Though the readymade chicken stock is available, it always adds to your sodium intake. So whenever possible trying to make your own is always the better option.
Usually, chicken pieces with bone and skin are simmered with other vegetables and spices for a long time on the stovetop so that all the flavors are infused into the stock.
But these days no one has the patience to spare so much time. I prefer to make mine in a pressure cooker, which eases and quickens the job. The end result is so flavorful, that you can have it all by itself.
Do not get intimidated by the list of ingredients or the color of the stock. It is not an attractive orange or yellow color, coz the meat pieces have been fried.
And I prefer doing it that way, as it brings out the maximum flavor of the chicken. But you can always opt to add the chicken pieces to boiling water. A pinch of turmeric can also be added to boost the color.
The vegetables are being added after the stock starts boiling, as they do not need as much cooking as the meat with bones. Again the herbs are added after cooking so that the fragrance does not die down by too much cooking.
If you are not using the pressure cooker, add the veggies once the meat is half cooked, and the herbs after switching off.
There is no hard and fast rule for making chicken stock, but everyone has a method to go about it. This is my way of doing it. I used a part of the stock for making egg drop soup, and it tasted so good, that we yearned for more 🙂 .
The remaining is stored in the freezer. The leftover chicken meat was used up in making a filling for chapatis.
Let’s get to the recipe.
Chicken Stock
Ingredients
- 300 g Chicken pieces
- 1 Onion sliced
- 1 carrot
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 " piece ginger
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 12 curry leaves
- 2-3 sprigs coriander leaves
- 2-3 sprigs parsley
- 6 cups water
- salt a bit
Spices
- 1 tsp whole pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- a pinch fennel seeds
- 1 " piece cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 2 cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Wash the chicken, collect the ingredients needed for the recipe and chop the veggies and herbs
- In a Pressure cooker, dry fry the spices for a few minutes till a nice smell emanates. Lightly crush them using the stone of the motor and pestle.
- Add the chicken pieces, and saute till the flesh turns color and starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Now add the water, scraping the bottom of the pan for the stuck brown bits.
- Once it starts boiling, add the sliced onion, carrot, crushed ginger and garlic, vinegar, and salt. Pressure cook for three whistles and turn off the stove.
- Wait for the pressure to naturally release, then open the lid and add the roughly chopped curry leaves, coriander leaves, and parsley. Close it again and let it be for at least 15 minutes.
- Strain the contents, by pressing down the strainer with a ladle, so that the maximum flavor is extracted.
- Use it immediately or cool down and store. It holds well in the refrigerator for about a week, and in the freezer for more than 6 months.
Hema’s P.S
- You can adjust the spices as per your taste preference.
- You can let the stock sit for a few hours too before straining if you intend to store it straight away. This will let the flavors seep more.
- No oil was added in this recipe, but still, lots of oil were floating on top of the stock. This oil adds richness to the soup, though you can skim it off if you are looking for a lighter version.
- The stock is very flavorful and can be had on its own by heating it up with a bit of pepper and salt.
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