Persian Chicken Recipe – fasenjan or Persian chicken is a classic Persian dish. Served with saffron rice or steamed basmati rice this Persian chicken stew is a perfect combination for dinner or an indulgent Lunch.
This is typical Iranian recipe of chicken stew with mildly spicy, aromatic pomegranate and walnuts sauce. The Persian name of this delicious Persian chicken stew is Khoresh Fesenjan. I sometimes make a vegetarian version of fesenjan sauce with chickpeas, and sometimes with vegetables.
This authentic Persian Chicken stew recipe is made with chicken. It is served with another Persian delicacy Khoresht-e-Ghorme-sabzi (green vegetable and meat stew) and rice, this makes a comfort meal on an Iranian table.
I first cook the chicken separately, and then I slow cook it in a nutty, aromatic and spicy Walnut and pomegranate sauce. Fesenjan sauce is mildly sweet and tangy because of pomegranate molasses, and pomegranate pearls.
The chicken stew is a rich, perfect to serve during winters. It combines the goodness of two delicious and healthy ingredients walnuts and pomegranates. I used California walnuts, as this is a perfect recipe to use healthy walnuts. The original recipe of Persian chicken uses full chicken breasts, I have used cut boneless chicken breast.
While cooking the sauce for the chicken stew, I use toasted walnuts which I grind first. While cooking the walnut sauce in Persian style I cook it till oil starts to float on the top. For making the sauce for the chicken stew, I toast walnuts and grind them. If you like little texture in the sauce, use a mix of tasted and ground walnuts and finely chopped walnuts. When I cook toasted and ground walnuts with molasses and spices, it makes a rich smooth sauce for Persian chicken stew.
Persian Chicken Stew
You can use chicken with bones or boneless which I used in this recipe as per your liking. As I said previously if you are vegetarian like this sauce works beautifully with chickpeas and tofu too. If you love meat, I can tell you there is never leftover fesenjan even if I make a double batch :).
If you like to try other chicken dishes you can try chicken dum biryani , Butter chicken in Slow cooker, Chicken Tikka Masala
- 200 g Onion sliced
- 3 Tbsp Oil
- 400 g Chicken (boneless thighs)
- 100 g Walnuts
- 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
- 1 Tbsp Tomato paste
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Pomegranate seeds for garnish
-
Dry roast walnuts for 5-6 minutes on medium flame and make a paste in food processor by adding 1/4 cup water. Add couple of tablespoon more water if required.
-
Fry the sliced onion in oil till light golden brown.
-
Add chicken pieces in the pan and mix with onions.
-
Fry them for 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
-
Top it with Walnut paste, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, salt, black pepper and cook them over medium-slow heat for 15 Minutes. Stir in between.
-
Now open the pan and simmer the pan further for 5-7 minutes till sauce thickens and chicken is cooked.
-
Serve the Fesenjan in a dish and top it with more pomegranate seeds. Enjoy the dish with Persian steamed rice.
What is pomegranate molasses?
It is nothing but pomegranate juice reduced and thickened. If you plan to keep it for sometimes you reduce it with sugar otherwise just cook it to make it thick and till it is reduced to a syrup consistency.