To prepare the stew: Place chicken, onion, carrot, celery, salt, black pepper, cloves, bay leaf, and water in a large pot. Heat to boiling; cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes, until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken and vegetables from broth. Set aside.
Strain broth and skim fat; measure and, if necessary, add water to make 3 cups liquid. Set aside 1 cup (see next step), and return the rest of the broth to the pot.
Mix cornstarch with 1 cup cooled broth by shaking vigorously in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Pour the mixture into the pot.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and is thickened.
Add the basil, peas, and reserved vegetables to the pot; stir to combine. Add chicken, and heat slowly to boiling while preparing cornmeal dumplings.
To prepare the dumplings: Sift together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk and oil.
Add milk mixture all at once to the dry ingredients; stir just enough to moisten the flour and evenly distribute the liquid. Dough will be soft.
Drop by full tablespoons on top of the stew. Cover tightly; heat to boiling. Reduce heat (do not lift cover) to simmering, and steam for about 20 minutes.