Chicken Stewed in Tomato Garlic and Cinnamon- Kota Kapama

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Chicken Stewed in Tomato Garlic and Cinnamon- Kota Kapama is a  delicious dish that can feed a crowd, therefore perfect for entertaining, holidays or just a regular Sunday dinner.

This is one of these recipes that I always loved. It comes from Greece and it is also known as Kota Kapama, chicken stewed in garlic and cinnamon. The hidden ingredient in the tasty sauce is cinnamon and it makes chicken taste like a party.

Whether you’re making this recipe with beef, chicken, pork, or lamb, a touch of cinnamon intensifies the savory aroma and adds a subtle richness to the meat. 

It won’t taste like cinnamon, but it will add a layer of flavor to the dish that will have your guests wondering what your secret ingredient is.

You can use any kind of tomato sauce you like, I used peeled tomatoes in tomato juice and crushed them for this dish. I also made this dish numerous times using different parts of the chicken, based on what I had in the freezer at the moment.

Sometimes I use chicken breast, sometimes thighs, sometimes I just cut a chicken in pieces and use legs, breast and thighs with the bone in. 

The recipe is made in different ways, with red wine or white wine, but always, always there is cinnamon and tomatoes.

My recipe uses cinnamon sticks and I think I like it more instead of using cinnamon powder. I found that the flavor of the sauce is more subtle with the cinnamon sticks.

What kind of ingredients you will need:

• chicken cut into pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• butter
• onion 
• garlic 
• canned tomatoes with the sauce in
• cinnamon sticks
• chicken stock or white wine(optional)

To make this dish, start with the chicken. This needs to be seasoned with salt and pepper and browned on each side in a skillet, with butter.

Cook the chicken in batches and do not overcrowd the pan. When I was taking pictures of the dish, I used chicken breast, as I was looking for a fast meal.

However, this can be made with a whole chicken cut in pieces or your favorite parts of the bird(only legs, only thighs etc).

As soon as the chicken is browned on each side, remove it from the skillet and set it aside. In the same skillet, add onions and garlic and cook them until lightly caramelized.

Supervise the skillet, stir once in a while, so the onions and especially the garlic do not burn.

Add the can of tomatoes with juice, the cinnamon sticks and chicken stock or white wine. The white wine is a personal preference, but you can skip it and add chicken stock instead or just water.

Most recipes out there that are traditional use wine in the recipes quite often.

When sauce comes to a boil, add the chicken, making sure that each piece is covered in the sauce. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for another 30 minutes, season for salt and pepper again and serve.

The dish can be served with white or brown rice, orzo or regular pasta. Even potatoes, like mashed potatoes  or roasted ones would be great as well.

If you prefer to skip the rice or pasta, but prefer bread, serve it with a good crusty one, like this easy to make no knead bread. It is to die for, especially when you dip that bread into the sauce! Yum!

I think it is a great recipe to feed a crowd and looks awesome as a centerpiece if you have a party.

A real winner in my book!

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Yield: 4-6 servings

Cinnamon Tomato Chicken Stew- Kota Kapama

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This Chicken Stewed in Tomato Garlic and Cinnamon- Kota Kapama is a Greek recipe made with chicken braised in tomato sauce, cinnamon and garlic. A delicious dish that can feed a crowd, therefore perfect for any ocassion when you need to entertain.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken breast or thighs cut into pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 garlic head finely chopped
• 1 pound and 12 oz(794g) canned tomatoes with the sauce in
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or dry white wine

Instructions

1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet.
3. Add chicken and brown it on all sides turning it once in a while.
4. Brown a few pieces at a time. When all are done, set aside.
5. Add onions and garlic in the butter, stirring until onions are lightly browned.
6. Add tomatoes from the can with their juice, cinnamon sticks, chicken stock or wine with more salt and pepper if needed.
7. When sauce comes to a boil, add the chicken, making sure that each piece is covered in the sauce.
8. Cover and reduce heat.
9. Simmer for another 30 minutes, remove chicken to a platter and spoon the sauce over it.
10. Serve.

Notes

• You can use chicken breast, chicken thighs or chicken legs. The chicken could be boneless or not, skinless or not. If you use pieces that have the skin on, brown them with the skin down first.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 667Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 235mgSodium: 411mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 58g

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