Yahnili makarna (chicken and tomato stew with pasta)

Yahnili makarna is a comforting Cypriot village pasta dish. It brings together a rich chicken, tomato and onion stew with bucatini pasta, and is finished simply with grated hellim / halloumi mixed with a little dried mint. Pronounced 'yah-nee-lee ma-kar-nah', it's a meal that feels instantly homely and is often cooked for cosy family gatherings - similar to magarina bulli.

The stew is incredibly easy to make and full of flavour. Onions are the key ingredient, and we use a generous amount, slicing them into rings and frying them slowly until they are soft and sweet. Dried dill adds a fragrant, subtle sweet herbal note that complements the onions, while ground black pepper provides a gentle warmth. Lemon juice cuts through the richness of the tomato sauce, giving a tangy finish that lifts the dish and balances the sweet flavours.

We use a mix of bone-in chicken breasts, thighs and legs for a variety in flavour and to ensure everyone gets the part they like most. We initially rub the chicken all over with lemon for freshness, before gently frying the pieces with the skin left on to build flavour. Once the chicken has been fried, the skin is removed. The same saucepan is then used to fry the onions and make the stew, utilising the chicken fat left over to add a deep richness to the sauce as it simmers.

In summer, we use freshly grated tomatoes rather than tinned, but either can be used. Although thick onion rings are the traditional cut for the dish and add texture, you can slice them into half-moon shapes to make things easier. Adding extra virgin olive oil to the water when boiling the pasta brings gentle earthy notes and also helps prevent the pasta tubes from sticking together.

Dried mint adds freshness to the grated halloumi, complementing its creamy, savoury flavour. You can add more or less mint to suit your taste, and we have included a guide in the ingredients. We also serve with small plates on the side so you can discard chicken bones while eating.

Serves 4 to 6 | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the stew
800g chicken breast, thighs, and legs, skin and bones left on	​400g tinned chopped tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes, grated)
6 medium onions	1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried dill	1 ½ tsp salt, or as desired
½ tsp ground black pepper	50ml lemon juice, or as desired
Sunflower oil, for frying	600ml hot water
1 lemon, for rubbing the chicken
For the pasta
500g fırın makarna (bucatini pasta)	Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
For serving
100g halloumi, finely grated	½ to 1 tsp dried mint

Hob heat settings

Method

Initial preparation

1. Cut each chicken thigh and breast into 2 to 3 pieces, giving you around 6 to 8 pieces in total including the legs. Wash the chicken, then rub the pieces with the lemon, squeezing the juice generously all over.

   
   

2. Peel and slice the onions into 0.5 cm thick rings. If that feels tricky, simply cut them into half-moon slices instead with the same thickness.

   
   

   

   
   

3. Mix the grated halloumi with dried mint in a small bowl, for serving later.

Stew preparation

1. Lightly oil a large saucepan with sunflower oil and place it on a medium-high heat (you can sprinkle in a little salt if you like, to help prevent the chicken from sticking). Once hot, add the chicken and fry, turning every 2 to 3 minutes with kitchen tongs, until lightly browned and cooked through - about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Once cool, remove the skin and discard. 

   
   

2. Check there is still enough sunflower oil to coat the bottom of the saucepan, then add the onions. Fry over a medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, softened, and sweet but not fully caramelised - about 10 to 15 minutes. Gently separate the onion rings with kitchen tongs or a fork as they cook.

   
   

3. Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, ground black pepper, and dried dill. Stir gently for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes break down and the paste is evenly mixed in. Be careful not to crush the onions while stirring.

   
   

4. Add the fried chicken, lemon juice, and hot water. Gently mix by lifting the sauce from the bottom over the chicken. Loosely cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Reduce to a medium heat and cook for a further 30 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce thickens, stirring gently from time to time. If oil rises to the surface, skim it off with a spoon and discard before serving, taking care not to remove the dill.

Pasta preparation and serving

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil with a little salt and extra virgin olive oil. Break the bucatini pasta into quarters and cook according to the packet instructions.

   
   

2. Serve the pasta topped with grated halloumi mixed with dried mint, and a few spoonfuls of the stew.