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Umleqwa
Umleqwa: Xhosa and Zulu slow-stewed free-range chicken with onion, tomato and curry spices
Umleqwa is the free-range village chicken of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, cooked for family gatherings, homecomings and Sunday lunch. These birds run free and have firm, flavourful meat that needs long, slow simmering, so the pot bubbles for an hour or two with onion, tomato, garlic, ginger and curry powder until the meat is tender and the gravy rich. It is eaten with pap, dumplings (ujeqe) or rice. The usual mistake is cooking a supermarket chicken for as long; it will fall to shreds, so cook it for about 45 minutes instead. Chef's tip: brown the chicken skin well before adding liquid, because the rendered fat carries the flavour of the gravy.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionschopped
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- ¾ in fresh gingergrated
- 1 tbsp mild curry powder
- 3 tomatoeschopped
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Season the 4 lb free-range chicken (an older bird), jointed into 10 pieces with the 1 ½ tsp salt. Heat the 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot and brown the pieces skin side down over a medium-high heat in batches, 6–8 minutes, until golden. Lift out.
16 minStep 2: Fry the 2 onions in the fat for 8 minutes until soft and golden, then add the 4 cloves garlic, ¾ in fresh ginger and 1 tbsp mild curry powder and cook for 1 minute.
9 minStep 3: Add the 3 tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until they soften into a sauce.
5 minStep 4: Return the chicken with the 2 cups chicken stock, 2 bay leaves and ½ tsp black pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 1–1½ hours for a free-range bird (about 45 minutes for an ordinary chicken), until the meat comes easily from the bone and reaches 165°F.
70 minStep 5: Uncover for the last 10 minutes if the gravy is thin. Serve with pap, dumplings or rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does umleqwa take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 100 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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