Chicken Afritada

Two days after posting my Foodbuzz 24x24's Salo-salong Kamayan sa Tag-araw which included 3 additional recipe posts, I'm ready to share another Filipino recipe with you...

Chicken Afritada is a tomato based dish that Filipinos really love. This is another one of those dishes that we've adapted from Spanish Cuisine. Afritada came from the Spanish word "Fritada" which means fried. Chicken Afritada which is basically pan-fried chicken stew with tomato sauce has become a very popular dish in the Philippines with many regional variations. But chicken, potatoes and tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes are always the basic ingredients. I personally prefer using tomato sauce instead of fresh tomatoes, only because it's easier and quicker that way. :)

This version of Chicken Afritada that I'm going to share with you is the one I grew up eating. This is how my Nanay used to cook it, and for me, there's no better way than this. I've loved it since I was a child...and my daughters love it now...so it must be good! (^.^)

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup pineapple juice or juice from 1 lemon
• 9 cloves garlic, minced (3 cloves for marinade and 6 cloves for sautéing)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 3-4 medium-sized carrots, cubed
• 3 potatoes, quartered
• ½ cup green peas
• ½ red or green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup water (if you want it with more sauce)
• salt and pepper

Procedure:

1. Marinate the chicken in soy sauce, pineapple juice or lemon juice and garlic for at least 1 hour. Drain the chicken. Save the marinade.

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté garlic in oil until light brown. Add onions and sauté until almost translucent. 

3. Add the chicken. Saute until it turns light brown. Add the marinade and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until chicken is almost cooked. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. Add the potatoes and bell peppers. Cover, lower heat to medium low and let simmer until vegetables are cooked. Add green peas and carrots during the last 10 minutes of cooking. From time to time, check to avoid drying and add water if necessary to attain the desired consistency of the sauce. 

 

5. Remove from heat. Serve hot with steamed rice.

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