Bowl of Kenyan Chicken with Coconut
(click to enlarge)

Chicken Coconut Stew


Kenya   -   Kuku Wa Kupaka
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 4 w/rice
***
5 hrs
Yes		 This stew would be for special occasions in Africa, as chicken is expensive there, and always a hassle since you have to start with a live chicken. It's just chicken and sauce, but the sauce is surprisingly substantial. See also Comments below.

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1/4
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ar
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in
cl

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T
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oz
oz
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Chicken Meat (1)  
-- Marinade
Ginger Root
Garlic
Serrano Chili
Rosemary fresh
Lime Juice
Salt
Olive Oil
-- Vegies
Tomatoes, ripe
Tomato Sauce (2)
Onions
-- Seasonings
Cumin Seeds
Curry Powder (3)
Pepper, black
Salt
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Oil
Coconut Milk
Marinade res.
Water
-- Garnish
Cilantro Leaves
-- Serve with
Steamed Rice
Do Ahead   -   (30 min + marinade time=3+ hrs)
  1. Cut CHICKEN into about 1-1/2 inch pieces.
  2. Slice GINGER crosswise very thin. Cut slices into threads and chop very fine. Crush GINGER and chop very fine. Chop SERRANO very fine. Chop ROSEMARY very fine. Mix all.
  3. Squeeze LIME JUICE.
  4. Mix all Marinade items and Massage into Chicken well. Set aside for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
Prep   -   (15 min)
  1. Scald TOMATOES one minute in boiling water. Quench in cold water and peel. Chop coarse. Mix with Tomato Sauce.
  2. Quarter ONIONS lengthwise and slice thin crosswise.
  3. Mix together all Seasoning items.
  4. Chop CILANTRO coarse for Garnish.
Run   -   (1-1/4 hrs)
  1. Drain Chicken well reserving marinade - see Note-4.
  2. In a coverable sauté pan (3-1/2 qt) or similar, heat Oil and fry Chicken, tumbling until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  3. Stir Onions into the pan and fry stirring until lightly browned. Take care the fond sticking to the pan doesn't get too dark.
  4. Stir in Seasoning mix and fry stirring for 1 minute.
  5. Stir in Tomato mix. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered, stirring now and then until tomatoes are soft.
  6. Stir in Chicken, Coconut Milk, reserved Marinade and Water. Bring to a boil and simmer covered until Chicken is tender, about 30 minutes for boneless chunks.
  7. Check seasoning, adjust liquid if needed. It should have plenty of liquid if served with rice, especially since this sauce tends to thicken when taken off the stove.
  8. Serve hot with plenty of Steamed Basmati or Jasmine Rice.
NOTES:

  1. Chicken:

      Weight is skinless and boneless. Use only Thigh and Leg Meat, never the cardboard flavored breast meat we get around here. You could also use 1-3/4 pounds skinless bone-in Chicken pieces cut to serving lengths. A razor sharp Chinese cleaver driven by a soft faced mallet is perfect for this.

  2. Tomato Sauce:

      Rather than using tomato paste called for in recipes, I like to add a convenient 8oz can of a very simple tomato sauce, which helps make up for deficient tomatoes. My favorite is Faraon Spanish Style, but other simple sauces will also work.

  3. East African Curry Powder:

      You can easily make a very tasty Curry Powder by our recipe East African Curry Powder. You could also use a Madras style powder (Ship or Sun brand), but I recommend the above mix in this recipe.

  4. Method:

      The drain and fry steps can be done up to a day ahead, refrigerating both chicken and drained marinade. Alternatively to frying, you could grill or broil the Chicken, then use just 1 T Oil for the Onions. The sauté pan method is suitable for no more than a single recipe. If I were making more for a party I'd deep fry the Chicken in a kadhai or wok - in fact, I'd consider doing that even for a single recipe (faster, easier to control, less splattering).
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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