Ingredients
Chicken
- 1.5 kgchicken, in small bone-in pieces
- juice of 1 lime, for washing
- 1 teaspoonsalt
Green seasoning
- a large bunch of coriander
- a bunch of thyme, leaves picked
- 6spring onions
- 1 headof garlic, peeled
- 1onion
- 5cm ginger
- 2wiri wiri peppers
Curry
- 4 tablespoonsGuyanese curry powder
- 1 tablespoongaram masala or massala
- 1 teaspoonground cumin
- 1onion, sliced
- 4 tablespoonsoil
- 2wiri wiri peppers, whole
- 3potatoes, in large chunks
- 500 mlwater
- salt to taste
To serve
- roti, dhal puri or paratha
- or cooked rice
- extra pepper sauce
Directions
- Rub the pieces with lime juice and rinse them. Pat them completely dry afterwards. Cut the chicken into small pieces on the bone. Making the green seasoning takes five minutes.
- Put all the herbs and aromatics in a blender. Add a splash of water to help it turn. Blend it to a coarse green paste. Do not make it completely smooth.
- Rub half the green seasoning into the chicken. Add the salt and work it in with your hands. Cover it and refrigerate it for at least two hours. Overnight is better if you have the time.
- Mix the curry powder and massala with water. Make a loose paste, about the thickness of cream. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Fry the sliced onion until it is soft. Add the remaining green seasoning and fry it briefly. Now pour in the wet curry paste.
- Fry it hard, stirring constantly. Give it five to seven minutes. Add the marinated chicken to the fried curry. Turn it until every piece is coated. Fry it in the paste for about ten minutes. Stir it often as the meat browns. Let that liquid cook away before adding water. Simmering it takes about thirty minutes.
- Pour in the water and stir well. Add the whole wiri wiri peppers. Bring it to a simmer and cover the pot. Let it cook for twenty minutes. Add the large chunks of potato now. Simmer for another fifteen minutes. The potato should be tender and starting to break.
- Uncover the pot for the last few minutes. Reduce the gravy until it clings to the chicken. It should not be watery at all. Taste it and adjust the salt again. Serving it is always done hot. Tear the roti and scoop up the curry with it. Put extra pepper sauce on the table. It keeps for three days refrigerated.
Technique
- Guyanese curry powder is its own blend and differs from Indian and Trinidadian powders.
- Massala in Guyana usually means a separate roasted spice blend added alongside the curry powder.
Substitutions
- Scotch bonnet or habanero replaces wiri wiri, though the fruity aroma is not quite the same.
- Madras curry powder is a workable substitute for Guyanese curry powder.
Variations
- Duck curry is made the same way and is a special-occasion dish.
- Curry chicken with channa adds chickpeas to the pot.
- A version cooked down to a dry curry is used as a roti filling.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chicken curry?
Chicken curry is a main from Guyana: curried chicken with wiri wiri heat, eaten with roti or rice.
How long does Chicken curry take to make?
Chicken curry takes 30 minutes plus marinating of preparation and 50 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Chicken curry?
Yes, within limits. Scotch bonnet or habanero replaces wiri wiri, though the fruity aroma is not quite the same. Madras curry powder is a workable substitute for Guyanese curry powder.
What is the most important thing to get right in Chicken curry?
Put all the herbs and aromatics in a blender. Add a splash of water to help it turn. Blend it to a coarse green paste. Do not make it completely smooth.
