Botswana Seswaa Chicken
A traditional Botswana dish featuring slow-cooked, shredded chicken seasoned with onions and salt, often served with a starchy accompaniment like pap or rice. This version focuses on chicken as the primary protein, distinct from the more common beef seswaa.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Whole chicken(cut into serving pieces)
- 2 large Onions(sliced)
- 500 ml Water
- 1 tbsp Salt(or to taste)
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides until golden brown.
- 2
Add the sliced onions to the pot and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- 3
Pour in the water, ensuring it comes about halfway up the chicken pieces. Add salt.
- 4
Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and let it cook for at least 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the chicken is extremely tender and falling off the bone.
💡 Tip: Check periodically and add a little more water if it becomes too dry. - 5
Once the chicken is tender, remove the lid and increase the heat slightly to reduce the sauce to a thicker consistency. This may take about 15-20 minutes.
- 6
Remove the chicken pieces from the pot. Using two forks, shred the chicken meat, discarding bones and skin. Return the shredded chicken to the pot with the reduced sauce and mix well.
💡 Tip: Ensure all the shredded chicken is coated in the flavorful sauce. - 7
Serve hot, typically with pap (a stiff maize porridge), rice, or mashed potatoes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Using a whole chicken provides a richer flavor than just chicken pieces.
- ✓Slow cooking is key to achieving the tender, shreddable texture characteristic of seswaa.
- ✓Adjust salt to your preference, especially if using salted water for pap.
🔄 Variations
- Add a pinch of black pepper for a subtle kick.
- Some variations include a bay leaf during the simmering process for added aroma.
- For a richer flavor, a small amount of butter can be stirred in at the end.