Made with our ‘East African Curry Powder’
Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk & Fresh Cilantro
Serves 4
This relatively mild curry has nuances of cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, cayenne, pepper, garlic and ginger. Served with coconut milk, this traditional dish is creamy, sweet and wholesome. An easy curry for beginners, a memorable one for connoisseurs.
This dish can be made with any cut of chicken, I recommend about 250 g per person. I usually make it with deboned chicken thighs or breasts. It is also very good with beef or vegetables like eggplant, lentils, cauliflower or potatoes.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons of East African Curry Powder
1 kg of boneless chicken thigh, cut into slices or bite size portions
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 ½ tablespoons garlic, crushed
1 ½ tablespoons ginger, grated
2 medium sized onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium sized carrot, chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, diced
½ head of cabbage, shredded
1 tomato, chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
2 cups chicken stock
500 ml coconut milk
1 cup fresh cilantro (coriander leaves), chopped
salt to taste
Preparation
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 45 minutes before preparation, so that it can reach room temperature.
- Brown the chicken in vegetable oil in a deep dish at high heat. I usually use a wok to cook curry.
- When the chicken is light brown, add the onions and once translucent, add the garlic and ginger.
- Stir the chicken, onions, garlic and ginger for a few minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of East African Curry Powder and cook for a few more minutes.
- Then add the carrots, potatoes, cabbage, bell pepper and tomato. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer at a medium heat for 20 minutes as you slowly reduce the liquid.
- Test the potatoes and carrots, they should be just slightly undercooked. Mix in half a cup of fresh cilantro, add a tablespoon of the East African Curry Powder and the 500 ml coconut milk. If you don’t like spicy food, then add the curry powder in increments and test before adding more. The more you add, the more flavour, but also the more heat. At this point you can also add more salt and I like to add a tablespoon of either brown sugar or honey.
- Turn off the stove and allow the curry to sit for a few minutes before transferring it into a serving dish and sprinkling the rest of the coriander leaves over the top just before serving.
Serving ideas
This dish goes well with rice, especially basmati rice, and naan or roti bread.
