Chicken with Pumpkin & Dried Plums

Warm, comforting, and slightly unexpected—Chicken with Pumpkin & Dried Plums is a dish that brings together sweetness and savory in one welcoming bowl. Imagine tender chicken pieces mingled with soft pumpkin cubes, enriched by the gentle tang of dried plums and lifted by a faint trail of cinnamon. It’s the kind of meal that turns an ordinary evening into something special without needing fancy ingredients.

The flavors are balanced—sweetness from fruit, warmth from spice, and richness from the chicken—making it perfect for a cozy dinner that feels like home.

Cooking chicken with pumpkin and prunes takes no more than 30 minutes, as the ingredients used do not require prolonged heat treatment. Cooking consists of two stages: frying in oil and boiling in sauce. As a result, the meat will be very tender and retain its juiciness.

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  Rinse the chicken meat under cold water and pat it dry with a paper towel. Any meaty part of the carcass is suitable for cooking. Cut the chicken into small, portion-sized pieces.
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  Pour refined vegetable oil into a hot pan. Fry the chicken pieces on both sides over high heat for 5 minutes. The meat should develop a golden brown crust.
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  Cut the peeled onion into rings. To make cutting easier and reduce the diameter of the rings, you can use two medium-sized onions instead of one large onion.
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  Add the onion rings to the meat and reduce the heat.
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  Continue to fry the contents of the pan for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. At the end of frying, the onions should be soft and golden brown.
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  Cut off the hard rind from the pumpkin, remove the seeds and soft fibers from the flesh. Cut the vegetable into 2-3 cm cubes.
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  Peel the garlic and chop it finely with a knife.
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  Add the pumpkin and garlic to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
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  Rinse the dried plums in cold water and place them in the pan (I recommend choosing seedless dried plums). Pour in 150 ml of water and stir. Turn the heat to high to quickly bring the contents of the pan to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan tightly with a lid. Simmer the chicken with vegetables for 10-15 minutes.
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  Sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs. A mixture of dill, parsley, coriander, or a single type of herb of your choice is suitable. Chicken with pumpkin and prunes can be served without a side dish. But to make lunch more substantial, the chicken can be served with potatoes, rice, or pasta.