Eggplant Chicken Stew

Eggplant chicken stew is a delicious and healthy, nutrient-packed stew that goes perfectly well with low carb rice and noodle dishes. It is low carb and gluten-free and has only 6 net carbs!

Eggplant, also known as aubergine, is a delicious and versatile vegetable you can prepare in so many different ways. It is so nourishing and filled with fiber, so a little goes a long way.

How to prepare eggplant

There are many different ways to prepare eggplants – baked, fried, used in a casserole or in a stew, eggplants do not disappoint when prepared properly.

On the flip side, it can be a total mess if you don't know how to prepare it or choose the right eggplant, so it's really important to follow the instructions.

Eggplant skin is edible but for older eggplants, it can be quite bitter. To remove the skin, you can use a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler.

For this recipe, the skin is removed by boiling the eggplant, which is the easiest way. The skin literally just falls off when you take it out of the boiling water and peel with your fingers. Easy peasy!

Why is my eggplant bitter?

An eggplant can taste bitter if it is no longer fresh or if it is a mature eggplant. The smaller, younger eggplants are less prone to bitterness and have fewer seeds, which is the origin of most of the bitter flavor.

I personally don’t mind a little bitterness as it is not overwhelming and eggplants soak up spices pretty well. You would notice my eggplant chicken stew has a lot of seeds and I do like them.

But if you do not like the bitter taste, make sure the eggplant is fresh.

To select a fresh eggplant, make sure the surface is smooth and shiny, then lightly squeeze on it and if it springs back, it is still fresh.

If you end up with one that is not very fresh but still want to cook with it, there is a way to get rid of the bitterness.

Sprinkle salt generously on the eggplant and then leave for about 30 minutes on a colander for the bitter juices to be drawn out and drained. Wash under tap water to get rid of the excess salt and you’re good to go.

How to make eggplant chicken stew

First, let's prepare the chicken breast. Add the chicken to a pot and pour in enough water to cover it. Add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Take the chicken out of the broth when done and shred it with a fork.

Next, we prepare the eggplants. Cut the eggplant into large cubes, place in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and let the eggplants cook till the skin is soft and looks very wrinkled.

Place in a colander, rinse with some water to cool it down, then peel off the skin. You can easily do these with your hands since it is so soft, but be careful, some parts might still be hot.

Take out your potato masher and get mashing! Mash the eggplant till it looks pureed. It wouldn’t look really smooth but that’s okay. If you don’t have a potato masher, you can use a fork if the eggplant is soft enough.

Leave in a colander to drain a bit more though it wouldn’t drain completely, and this is what we want since the eggplant soaks up spices quite thirstily.

Blend the tomato, bell pepper, habanero pepper, and half of the onion together. Chop the other half. Add some palm oil to a pot on medium heat and fry the chopped onions for about a minute.

Next, add the blended tomato and pepper mixture and fry for a few more minutes. Add the shredded chicken, cayenne pepper, and other spices, mix together and let it fry for about 5 more minutes.

You can add your favorite spices and make this dish as spicy as you want. You really can’t go wrong with the taste!

Add the eggplant and mix it thoroughly. Let it simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes and you’re ready to serve.

I used leftover chicken but you can replace it with beef, shrimp, or your protein of choice. You can leave out all protein for a hearty vegan recipe. It tastes amazing either way!

This recipe has 8 servings with 6g net carbs per serving.

I love to eat this with just plain cauliflower rice or shirataki noodles. The eggplant chicken stew has very strong and bold flavors and gives life to a plain/bland dish.

You can top it up with meat or even more chicken or just eat as-is for a simple, savory meal.

Eggplants are such a wonderful addition to my low carb recipes and I like to look for creative ways to use them.

Here are some other amazing, healthy dishes made with eggplants:

Low Carb & Gluten-Free Eggplant Benedict

Garlic Grilled Eggplant

Eggplant Amala Fufu

Enjoy these other delicious low carb stews!

Ofada Stew

Nigerian Beef Stew

Sausage Rougail

Mafe - African Peanut Stew

Helpful Resources

How to Buy and Store Eggplant