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Chicken pepian

Chicken and vegetables simmer in a thick sauce of toasted seeds, dried chilies and charred tomatoes. Pumpkin seeds and sesame provide body, while careful toasting gives the sauce a deep roasted character without bitterness.

FlexibleModerate4 servings
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Ingredients

Original recipe: 4 servings. Ingredient amounts scale below; the method is written for 4 servings. For larger amounts, use separate batches and check doneness.

  • 800 graw boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
  • 900 mlgluten-free chicken stock
  • 500 gtomatoes, halved
  • 150 gonion, quartered
  • 4 clovegarlic, peeled
  • 2 eachdried guaque chilies, stems and seeds removed
  • 1 eachdried pasa chili, stem and seeds removed
  • 40 ghulled pumpkin seeds
  • 30 gsesame seeds
  • 1 each100% corn tortilla, about 25 g
  • 300 gpotatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 200 gcarrot, cut into thick slices
  • 150 ggreen beans, trimmed and halved
  • ½ tspsalt
  • ¼ tspground black pepper
  • 10 gcilantro, chopped

Make it

  1. Put chicken and stock in a large saucepan, bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce ingredients in the dry frying pan.
  2. Toast pumpkin seeds and sesame separately over medium heat for 2–3 minutes each until fragrant, then transfer to a blender. Toast the chilies for about 15 seconds per side without blackening; add to a bowl with 200 ml of the hot chicken broth and soak for 10 minutes.
  3. Char the tomatoes, onion and garlic in the dry pan over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes, turning. Toast the tortilla until dry and speckled. Add these to the blender with the soaked chilies and their broth, then blend carefully until smooth.
  4. Pour the sauce into the chicken pan and add potatoes, carrot, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring the bottom to prevent sticking.
  5. Add green beans and cook for 8–10 minutes more, until all vegetables are tender, the sauce is thick and the chicken reaches 74°C / 165°F. Finish with cilantro and divide among four bowls.
Ingredients, recipe context & sources

Ingredient flags: Sesame. Check packaged ingredients and cross-contact.

This is an original Livura home-cooking interpretation, not yet independently kitchen-tested. Source links provide dish and cultural context; the recipe wording and quantities are Livura’s.

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