Creamy Chicken Pastel
A cozy Filipino creamy stew made with chicken, vegetables, and a smooth coconut milk sauce. Perfect for comfort food enthusiasts looking for a filling and forgiving dish.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 450kcal
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1 kg Chicken (thighs preferred) About 1 to 1.5 kilos
- 2 tablespoons Oil or butter
- 1 cup Sliced mushrooms Optional but recommended
- 1 cup Carrots, sliced 1 to 2 carrots
- 1 cup Potatoes, cubed
- 1 cup Green peas Frozen is fine
- 1 red bell pepper Sliced Optional
- 2 cups Chicken broth Or water plus 1 cube
- 1 cup Coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon Flour Use cornstarch slurry as an alternative
- Salt and pepper To taste
- 1 squeeze Calamansi or lemon Optional, brightens the sauce
Instructions
Cooking Steps
- Brown the chicken lightly. Heat oil or butter in a pot. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then lightly brown it. Set aside.
- Sauté the onions until soft, then add garlic. If using mushrooms, add them now and cook until they shrink.
- Add the chicken back in along with the broth. Add the bay leaf if using, bring to a gentle boil, then lower to a simmer.
- Add potatoes and carrots. Simmer until almost tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk. Keep heat low to prevent curdling. Let it gently simmer.
- Make a paste with the flour and water, then stir it into the pot. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Add peas and bell pepper in the last 3 to 5 minutes of cooking.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Add a squeeze of calamansi or lemon if the sauce is too rich.
Notes
This dish can be made ahead of time and usually tastes better the next day. Flexible in vegetable choices and easy to customize. Use store-bought puff pastry for a pot pie twist.