Akoho sy voanio

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• black pepper
• juice of 1 lemon

Aromatics

• 2onions, sliced
• 6garlic cloves, crushed
• 5cm ginger, grated
• 3tomatoes, chopped
• 3 tablespoonsoil

Coconut

• 400 mlthick coconut milk
• 200 mlthin coconut milk or water
• or 2 fresh coconuts, grated and pressed

To finish

• 1 teaspoonground turmeric, optional
• a handful of coriander or spring onion
• salt to taste

To serve

• vary, plain steamed rice
• sakay, Malagasy chilli paste
• achard, pickled vegetables

Directions

1. Heat is added at the table rather than in the pot. Joint the chicken into eight pieces. Rub them with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Let them sit for fifteen minutes. Pat them dry well before browning. Crack open two mature coconuts. Grate all the white flesh out.
2. Squeeze it hard in your hands over a bowl. That first squeezing gives thick milk. Set that thick milk aside separately. Add warm water to the grated flesh. Squeeze again for the thinner milk.
3. Let it settle and spoon off the thick top. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot. Get it properly hot before the chicken goes in. Lay the pieces in skin side down. Do not crowd the pot with pieces. Work in two batches if necessary. Let them brown without moving them. Give them five minutes on the first side.
4. Turn them and brown the other side. Take them out and set them aside. Fry the sliced onions in the same pot. Cook them slowly for eight minutes. They should soften and turn golden. Add the garlic and the ginger. Cook them for about two minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes to it. Cook them down for five minutes.
5. Add the turmeric now if you are using it. Return the chicken to the pot. Pour in the thin coconut milk. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and lower the heat. Let it cook for about thirty minutes.
6. Turn the pieces once halfway through. The chicken should be cooked right through. Pour in the thick coconut milk. Stir it through the pot gently. Never let it boil hard after the thick milk goes in. Keep it at a bare tremble for ten minutes. It should coat the chicken rather than run off.
7. Uncover the pot to help it reduce. Taste the finished sauce carefully. Coconut milk needs a good deal of salt. Add salt until the flavour comes forward. Scatter coriander or spring onion over the top. Serving it is done hot with rice. Serve plain steamed rice alongside. Put sakay on the table for those who want heat. It keeps three days refrigerated.

Technique

• Madagascar was settled from island Southeast Asia, and its language is Austronesian rather than African.
• Coastal cooking shows both that origin and the later East African and Indian Ocean trade contacts.

Substitutions

• Tinned coconut milk works well throughout when separated into thick and thin.
• Fish or prawns can be cooked the same way and need much less time.

Variations

• Some households add green beans or cassava leaves to the pot.
• A version with more tomato gives a redder sauce.
• Adding a stick of cinnamon is done in some coastal areas.

History

Chicken simmered in coconut milk, a coastal dish reflecting the Austronesian and Swahili currents that shaped Madagascar’s shoreline cooking.

Frequently asked questions

What is Akoho sy voanio?

Akoho sy voanio is a main from Madagascar: chicken simmered in coconut milk with ginger, northern classic. Chicken simmered in coconut milk, a coastal dish reflecting the Austronesian and Swahili currents that shaped Madagascar’s shoreline cooking.

How long does Akoho sy voanio take to make?

Akoho sy voanio takes 20 minutes of preparation and 50 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Akoho sy voanio?

Yes, within limits. Tinned coconut milk works well throughout when separated into thick and thin. Fish or prawns can be cooked the same way and need much less time.

What is the most important thing to get right in Akoho sy voanio?

Heat is added at the table rather than in the pot. Joint the chicken into eight pieces. Rub them with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Let them sit for fifteen minutes. Pat them dry well before browning. Crack open two mature coconuts. Grate all the white flesh out.