Cari poule

Ingredients

Curry

• 1.2 kgchicken on the bone, cut into curry-sized pieces
• 4 tbspsunflower oil
• 2onions (300 g), finely sliced
• 6garlic cloves and 30 g ginger, pounded to a paste with a little water
• 4 tbspMauritian massale (curry powder)
• ½ tspground turmeric
• 4ripe tomatoes (400 g), chopped
• 3 sprigsfresh thyme
• 12fresh curry leaves (caripoule)
• 2green chillies, slit
• 400 mlhot water
• 2 tspsalt
• 1large handful coriander leaf, chopped

To serve

• 500 glong-grain rice, steamed
• 300 gyellow split-pea dal (dholl), simmered soft
• Satini pomme d’amour: 3 tomatoes, chopped fine with 1 small onion, 1 chilli, coriander, lime juice and salt
• 2 tbspmazavaroo (crushed chilli in oil)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy karay or casserole over medium heat and fry the sliced onion 10–12 minutes until deep golden brown and sweet. This slow browning, not the spice, is what gives Mauritian curry its colour and depth.
2. Add the garlic-ginger paste and cook 2 minutes until the raw smell goes.
3. Mix the massale and turmeric with 4 tbsp water into a loose paste, add it to the pot and fry it 3–4 minutes, stirring hard, until the oil beads out around the edges. Adding dry powder straight to hot oil scorches it and turns the curry bitter.
4. Add the chicken and turn it in the masala over high heat for 5 minutes until every piece is coated and sealed.
5. Add the tomato, thyme, curry leaves and slit chillies, cover, and let it cook in its own juices for 10 minutes until the tomato has collapsed into the masala.
6. Pour in the hot water, add the salt, and simmer uncovered on a gentle bubble for 25–30 minutes, until the meat is tender at the bone and the sauce has reduced to a thick gravy that clings, with a film of red oil on the surface.
7. Taste for salt, stir in most of the coriander and rest it off the heat for 5 minutes.
8. Serve on a plate rather than in a bowl: rice, a ladle of curry, a spoonful of dholl beside it, a heap of satini pomme d’amour, and mazavaroo on the side for those who want it. Scatter the last of the coriander over.

Technique

• Thyme and fresh curry leaves together are the Mauritian signature and the reason this tastes Creole rather than Indian. Dried curry leaves have almost no aroma; if you cannot get fresh ones, leave them out and add more thyme.
• Massale is a locally roasted blend, heavier on coriander seed and cumin and lighter on chilli than most Indian curry powders, usually with cinnamon, clove and a little star anise. It is added as a wet paste and fried, never sprinkled in at the end.
• Mauritian curries are not coconut-based. The body comes from browned onion, tomato and reduction, so resist the urge to add cream or coconut milk.
• The accompaniments are not optional in Mauritius. Curry without satini and a chilli paste on the side is considered half a plate.

Substitutions

• No Mauritian massale: use 3 tbsp of a mild Madras curry powder plus ½ tsp each of ground cinnamon, clove and fennel seed.
• No fresh curry leaves: a strip of lime leaf gives a different but comparable lift.
• Bone-in thighs alone give a richer, more forgiving curry than a whole jointed bird.

Variations

• Cari poisson uses tuna or vacoas steaks fried first, then simmered briefly in the same masala.
• Cari camaron, made with freshwater prawns, is the festive version of the same sauce.
• In the Chinese-Mauritian kitchen the curry is finished with a splash of soy and served with noodles.

History

The everyday Mauritian curry, built on masala ground by Indo-Mauritian families and finished with local thyme, a French colonial herb.

Frequently asked questions

What is Cari poule?

Cari poule is a main from Mauritius: chicken curry with thyme and curry leaves, served with rice and satini. The everyday Mauritian curry, built on masala ground by Indo-Mauritian families and finished with local thyme, a French colonial herb.

How long does Cari poule take to make?

Cari poule takes 20 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4–6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Cari poule?

Yes, within limits. No Mauritian massale: use 3 tbsp of a mild Madras curry powder plus ½ tsp each of ground cinnamon, clove and fennel seed. No fresh curry leaves: a strip of lime leaf gives a different but comparable lift. Bone-in thighs alone give a richer, more forgiving curry than a whole jointed bird.

What is the most important thing to get right in Cari poule?

Serve on a plate rather than in a bowl: rice, a ladle of curry, a spoonful of dholl beside it, a heap of satini pomme d’amour, and mazavaroo on the side for those who want it. Scatter the last of the coriander over.