Chicken Paprika Stroganoff

This is another recipe discovered quite by chance when I was looking for something to make for dinner - had  come across a recipe for chicken stroganoff which I was thinking of making and adapting to make it a little more flavorful - and then I came across this recipe which was basically exactly what I needed. It's spicy & flavorful, has a delicious sauce which is just brilliant with noodles, and the beautiful color from the paprika makes it stunning to look at. I always thought paprika to be a less spicy version of chilli powder only used for color, and I was so wrong - its got this subtle smoky spicy taste which just transformed this chicken to the next level. I even loved the chicken just on its own, so I am going to experiment with grilling it in the future to add in sandwiches, or to stirfry with noodles. 

Chicken Paprika Stroganoff (Serves 4-5 people)

Recipe: Adapted from Mel's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 2 tablespoon paprika (to marinate) + 1 teaspoon (in sauce)
• 2 teaspoon red chilli pepper (can be removed to reduce spice level) - 1 tsp to marinate chicken & 1 tsp in the sauce
• 2 teaspoon red chilli flakes (can be reduced as per taste)
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons oil, plus more as needed
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 1 can white button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 cups chicken broth (1 Knorr chicken cube dissolved in 2 cups hot water)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup cream + more to garnish 
• Boiled spaghetti or egg noodles, for serving - 450 grams
• Chopped Parsley, for garnish (substituted for dried)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the vinegar, 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp red chilli powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour on top of the chicken and toss to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium heat until and hot. Make sure the pan is large enough since the sauce will also be cooked in the pan - alternatively, I cooked the chicken in a skillet and then made the sauce in a wok. The reason the skillet is better than a wok is because it has more surface area, and the chicken needs to be cooked in one layer so its properly browned which is why a skillet is better.
3. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until golden brown on each side. Cook the chicken in two batches if required, and add a little more oil when cooking the second batch. The chicken only needs to be browned at this stage - it will cook for more time in the sauce so it does not need to be completely cooked through. Once the chicken is browned, take it in a place and set aside.
4. Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan, and add the chopped garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes till the garlic is lightly browned and then add the onions. Cook the onions for 1 minute, and then add mushrooms. Saute the mixture, and keep stirring occasionally till the onions are translucent and mushrooms are browned - its about 5-6 minutes.
5. Pour in about 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping up any bits from the bottom. Stir in the tomato paste, whisking to combine. Add the rest of the chicken broth and keep stirring.
6. Add the chicken back into the skillet and simmer the mixture over medium-low to medium heat, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 5-6 minutes. The sauce will thicken due to the flour coating on the chicken. Add 1 tsp red chilli pepper, 1 tsp of paprika and 2 tsp of red chilli flakes (optional) and stir.
7. Stir in the cream and cook for about 2-3 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasonings if required (salt & spices). If the sauce is thin, then thicken using a cornflour + water mixture (1 tbsp cornflour with 2-3 tbsp of cold). Add the cornflour mixture into the simmering chicken & sauce and whisk to combine. Keep stirring till the sauce is thickened. 
8. Garnish with cream and parsley.
9.  Serve with noodles. Noodles and chicken can be served separately, or the chicken be served in a platter over noodles. 
10. Comments: The chicken can also be served with rice, which is what I had the leftovers with the next day, however, noodles are better. Alternatively, it could also be served with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.