This is one of my very favorite recipes. It was sent to me by a shell-collector friend in Goa, India, Mr. Jose Onofre Fernandez. If you cook this with your windows open, expect the neighbors to show up to ask "What smells so good?"

Chicken-Coconut Curry

Boil one chicken in water with 1 tsp. salt, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 bay leaves and 1 clove of garlic, sliced thin, until the meat will easily come off bones. Remove chicken from stock. Save stock to cook rice in. Cool chicken, pick all meat off the bones and cut into bitesize pieces.
In a large frying pan, melt 6 Tbsps of butter, then add:

  • 2 large onions, cut up however you like
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp aniseseeds
  • 1/2 tsp ground mace
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 Tbsp poppyseeds
  • juice of 1 lime
  • red chilis, black pepper and salt to taste
  • and optional items: yellow raisens, pieces of other dried fruits, etc.

Stir slowly, blending the flavors until the onions are transparent. Add one can of coconut milk (used to prepare fancy bar drinks), then the chicken chunks. Let simmer on low heat while you cook white rice in the chicken stock. Serve curry over rice.




What smells so good? Is it done yet? When do we eat?




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