Chicken Stew (Rwandan Igisafuliya)

Igisafuliya is a delicious Rwandan dish prepared with chicken, vegetables and plantains whose name means "pot" in Kinyarwanda. Rwanda is called the Switzerland of Africa for the beauty of its landscapes, most of which are very green and explain the nickname of the country, the "country with a thousand hills". Rwanda is a mountainous country bordering Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Tanzania. It is located in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Its landscapes offer beautiful parks, such as Akagera Park, featuring hippopotamuses, antelopes, elephants, volcanoes, imposing high peaks such as the Virunga mountain range, which is composed of volcanoes up to 15000 feet high. And in the middle of all these landscapes is a lake, Kivu, the largest in the country. In this preserved environment, beautiful wild primates, such as; monkeys and mountain gorillas live peacefully. Rwandan cuisine is not known for being spicy. Rwandans eat simple meals, made with locally grown ingredients. The Rwandan diet consists mainly of sweet potatoes, beans, maize, peas, millet, plantains, cassava and fruits. Potato, introduced by German settlers, is now very popular.

4 chicken thighs
2 onions, chopped
2 leeks, white and green parts, thinly sliced
4 green bell peppers, seeded and cut
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
5 stalks celery, chopped, including leaves
4 plantain bananas, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and then cut in half
10 oz spinach, fresh or frozen
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 Tbsp. sunflower oil
1 hot pepper, optional

In a pot with hot oil, sear chicken over medium-high heat to colour on all sides.

Add onion, leeks and peppers. Stir and leave about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the tomatoes, celery and tomato paste and mix well. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.

Cover with water, salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Then remove 2 pieces of chicken, place the plantains, cover them with the spinach and put the chicken back on top. Add water if necessary so that the bananas are fully submerged.

Cover, add the whole hot pepper, and simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes. The liquid should not evaporate too much during cooking, as there should be a lot of sauce left.

Makes 4 servings.