Chicken in an Afghan Cauldron
Tender, flavorful, and juicy. A perfect mix of chicken and vegetables, steamed in their own juices with fragrant spices.
Updated : 09 June, 2025
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
1
Chicken
3
Onion
2
Carrot
2
Bell pepper
3
Garlic
6
Potato
50 milliliters
Vegetable oil
to taste
Salt
to taste
Ground black pepper
to taste
Laurel leaf
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Advices
Advice
Before serving, sprinkle the chicken with vegetables with ground black pepper and finely chopped herbs.
Preparation
Step 1
If the chicken is frozen, take it out of the freezer in advance and defrost at room temperature. Then rinse the whole bird, pat it dry with paper towels, and cut into small portion-sized pieces.
Step 2
Peel the potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic. Remove the core and seeds from the bell peppers. To make the finished dish more colorful and appealing, use peppers of different colors. Rinse all vegetables.
Step 3
Cut the vegetables into medium pieces. You can choose the slicing style yourself. I cut the carrots into thick sticks, the pepper into cubes, the onion into rings, and the potatoes into round slices.
Step 4
Pour a small amount of refined vegetable oil into the Afghan cauldron. Place the onion as the first layer at the bottom.
Step 5
Next, add the carrots and garlic. If the garlic cloves are small, leave them whole; if large, cut them in half or quarters lengthwise. Also, add a bay leaf and a pinch of salt.
Step 6
Place the chicken pieces on top as the next layer.
Step 7
Add the chopped bell pepper and spread it out evenly.
Step 8
Then layer the potatoes on top. Season with your favorite spices and add salt to taste. I used a ready-made potato roasting mix and ground sweet paprika. If you'd like more broth, add ½ to 1 cup of water (about 120–240 ml / 4–8 fl oz). I didn’t add any water because the vegetables and chicken release plenty of juice during cooking.
Step 9
Cover the Afghan cauldron with the lid and place it on the stove. Once you hear a distinct hissing sound, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes. During cooking, open the pressure valve using a fork. If steam escapes, it means the cauldron is working correctly. Turn off the heat and leave the cauldron covered for another 15–20 minutes. Then release the steam using the fork again and only then open the lid. The dish is ready to serve!