Mbuya Chikafu’s roadrunner delight

EATING local foods is definitely the trend these days — given the growing movement towards organic food.  Here is a modified recipe of roadrunner my grandmother, Mbuya Chikafu, makes when I visit her in Bocha, Marange. This chicken is best served for supper with whole grain sadza (mugayiwa), okra (derere) or pumpkin leaves (muboora).
***
Ingredients (Serves 10)
2kg indigenous chicken (roadrunner), washed, prepped and cut into pieces;
One litre water;
One medium onion, chopped;
Three medium ripened tomatoes, chopped;
Four cloves garlic, peeled;
Half-a-can diced tomatoes;
One teaspoon salt;
Two tablespoons tomato soup powder;
One teaspoon paprika powder;
One tablespoon olive oil.

Method (takes two hours)

Place chicken in a cast iron pot, and add about 400ml of water with salt and a tablespoon of olive oil. Bring the pot to boil on medium heat with its lid on until the water is finished. This takes about 50 minutes. Add whole garlic cloves and paprika.

Fry the chicken until it is browned (about 15 minutes) and add more water (500ml). Close pot once again and on low heat, let the chicken simmer gently until tender, cooked through and the water is finished (about 25 minutes).

Fry the chicken for about one minute. Add the onions, fresh tomatoes all at once and stir. Close pot again to give the tomatoes and onions time to cook (about five mins). Mix tomato soup powder with water (100ml) to make a smooth paste. Pour this into the pot together with the canned tomatoes. Stir and let this simmer for another five to ten minutes. The roadrunner chicken stew is ready. Reheat when ready to serve.

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