Kenyan cuisine is a melting pot of flavors, shaped by centuries of trade and migration along the Indian Ocean coast. Imagine the bustling night markets of Nairobi, where the air is thick with the intoxicating aroma of spices and the vibrant hum of life.
This article explores two iconic Kenyan chicken dishes: Kuku Paka, a flavorful coconut chicken curry, and Chicken Pilau, a spiced rice dish perfect for special occasions.
Kuku Paka: An African-Indian Coconut Chicken Curry
Are you ready to discover the world’s easiest curry? As in, a real one, made from scratch. Introducing - Kuku Paka! This chicken curry in a tomato coconut spiced sauce tastes like an Indian curry, except it’s African. Kuku Paka is an African-Indian coconut chicken curry that’s popular with Indian communities in East African countries such as Kenya and Tanzania. Kuku means chicken in Swahili and Paka means delicious in Punjabi.
This dish is a testament to the fusion of cultures, blending tender chicken thighs with the deep, alluring flavors of Zanzibar Zest with a humble curry powder. As early as the 19th century, Indian laborers, brought in by the British to work on the construction of the Uganda Railway, began to settle in East Africa. The Indian influence blended seamlessly with traditional Swahili cooking, which itself was a mix of Arab, Persian, and Portuguese influences, thanks to Kenya’s position as a key trading hub.
Ingredients for Kuku Paka
- Spices: Cumin, coriander, and turmeric for flavor. Chilli or cayenne pepper for spiciness.
- Aromatics: Onion, ginger, and garlic for an aromatic flavor base. It is highly recommended to use fresh ginger and garlic, but if you’re out and you are determined to still make this, then substitute with 1 teaspoon of powder instead (add with the other spices).
- Coconut milk: Not all coconut milks are created equal! Economical ones are more water and less coconut. Low fat coconut milk will work but sauce will be thinner and not as good coconut flavor.
- Canned tomato: Use crushed or finely diced to ensure it breaks down in the simmer time for this recipe.
- Coriander / cilantro: Some for stirring in, some for garnish.
- Fresh lemon juice: Just a bit, stirred in at the end, to brighten up the sauce a bit.
How to Make Kuku Paka
Traditionally, the chicken is char grilled before simmering in the sauce which adds extra flavour. To keep this Monday-night friendly, I’ve opted to pan sear. If you fire up your grill for the chicken, I’ll be impressed!!
Read also: Chicken Indomie Recipe
- Season and sear: Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, sear to brown the skin, then remove onto a tray. The skin side of the thighs will take around 4 to 5 minutes, then just cook the flesh side for 1 minute to seal the surface. As for the drumsticks, just do the best you can!
- Sauté aromatics and spices: Next, give the onion a head start on the sautéing before adding the ginger and garlic. Once the onion is softened, add the spices and cook them for 30 seconds.
- Simmer: Return chicken into the pot, including any juices on the tray. Arrange the chicken so it is submerged as best as possible, though if some is poking out that’s ok as it will steam-cook. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on, then 20 minutes with the lid off which will allow the sauce to reduce and thicken.
- Finish & serve: Just before serving, stir in the fresh lemon juice and half the coriander leaves. A sauce this good demands rice for soaking! Then to take it over the top, add a side of flatbreads for dunking / mopping.
For a strictly traditional version, sear the chicken over charcoal for chargrilled flavour before adding into the sauce. To make this Monday-night-friendly, I've just pan-seared.
- Season chicken: Pat chicken dry using paper towels then sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
- Brown chicken: Heat oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add the thighs, skin-side down, and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate (it will still be raw inside). Then brown the drumsticks as best you can. I do 3 sides, 2 minutes each side. Transfer to the plate.
- Sauté aromatics: Turn heat down to medium high. Add the onion and cook for 1 minute until softened. Add garlic and ginger, cook for 30 seconds. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and chilli. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Sauce: Add coconut milk, tomato and salt. Stir, then return chicken into the pot (including juices on the plate). Submerge chicken as best you can.
- Simmer 30 min: Once the sauce comes to a simmer, reduce the heat so it’s bubbling gently. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the base doesn't catch.
- Finish & serve: Stir in lemon and half of the coriander.
Slow-cooked to perfection, this Kenyan chicken curry is served over a bed of jasmine rice, garnished with fresh cilantro and a few pickled jalapeño slices for a punch of heat and brightness. This isn't just a meal; it's a journey.
Tips for the Best Kuku Paka
- Chicken thighs and drumsticks are best because they stay juicy in the sauce simmer time required. Boneless thighs and breast will work but sauce flavour won’t be as good, but you can use them. Whole boneless thighs - sear per recipe then add back in for last 10 min of sauce simmer time.
- Pure chilli powder - not to be confused with US chili powder which is a spice mix.
- Coconut milk - Not all coconut milks are created equal! Economical ones are more water and less coconut. I use Ayam (89% coconut). Low fat coconut milk will work but sauce will be thinner and not as good coconut flavour.
How To Make Kuku Paka (Chicken In Coconut Curry) At Home | Passage To East Africa
Kenyan Chicken Pilau: A Festive Rice Dish
While I might call this a Kenyan Chicken Pilau, pilau is honestly a staple dish eaten all over East Africa. Pilau rice is as beloved and synonymous with East Africans as Jollof rice is with West Africans; however, with regards to popularity, global associations of jollof rice with the Nigerian version mirror the same associations of pilau rice with the Kenyan version. A google search will reveal that the Kenyan pilau has become the more celebrated version of the East African Pilau.
Kenyan Pilau is usually served during special occasions like public holidays, weddings and religious celebrations like Eid or Christmas. While I customized this East African Pilau with chicken, pilau can generally be adapted towards vegan or vegetarian diets and meat eaters alike. The choice of meat used can also be adapted to your preference.
Pilau Origins in East Africa
Kenyan Pilau was traditionally an Asian dish with roots in Middle and far East Asia prepared from rice and an array of historically oriental spices that are now available and grown in Kenya and East Africa. Many of the ingredients used in Kenyan and East African pilau like mdalasini (cinnamon), iliki (garlic), karafu (cloves), pilipili kali (hot pepper), pilipili hoho (mild pepper) and dania (coriander) were imports from Far Eastern countries, which due to coastal trade and commerce, introduced Arab and Persian influences into Kenyan and East African culture almost a thousand years ago.
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Pilau is suspected to have arrived in Kenya through the Swahili coast as early as or even before 1492 due to the heavy presence of Arab and Persian traders. The Swahili coast is a coastal stretch of land bordering Kenya, Tanzania, Southern Somalia and Northern Mozambique and has been the site of cultural and commercial exchanges between East Africa and the outside world - particularly the Middle East, Asia, and Europe - since as far back as or even before the 8th century A.D.
The pilau recipe most likely spread from Kenya into the landlocked regions of East Africa through Arab and Swahili trade caravans that established contact with elites from the interior from as early as the Fifteenth Century. Since then Pilau has joined the ranks not only as one of Kenya’s national food staples… but as a favorite staple in many homes as well, including mine!
Preparing the Spice Mix
What makes a Kenyan Pilau special are the spices used in making it. Each cook tends to have a slight variation in the quantity of the different spices in their Pilau spice mix, so even though I do not have an exact ratio, I use these basic rules to guide me in mixing the spices:
- Don’t use more than one stick of cinnamon for 3 cups of rice or less to avoid a cinnamon heavy rice.
- Don’t use more than 1 tablespoon of cumin for 3 cups of rice or less to avoid down playing the other spices. You still want to taste the spice medley in this recipe, and if you use too much cumin, it tends to over power the flavor.
- For 3 cup of rice or less do not use more than 6-8 cloves. Cloves tend to numb your mouth if you add too much to this dish.
Other popular spices used in East African pilau but not included in this recipe are ginger and turmeric powder.
How to Make Kenyan Pilau with Chicken
- Toast the Spices: Start by toasting the spices on a pan over a medium flame. Toast the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and cloves until fragrant (takes about 2-3 minutes), then toast the cumin seeds, black peppercorns, and coriander seeds on medium heat until fragrant (for 1-2 minutes).
- Grind the Spices: With a mortar and pestle, or in a spice grinder, coarsely grind all the spices except the cinnamon stick, and set aside.
- Cook the Chicken Pilau: Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat, then add in the sliced red onions. Allow to cook until lightly brown, then add the chicken, crushed garlic, ground spiced, and bouillon cube. Stir and allow the chicken to brown slightly. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Once the chicken is browned, stir in the rice for another two minutes, then add the coconut milk and water. At this stage, adjust the salt if necessary (I added an extra tsp or so of salt), and add the cinnamon stick.
- Cover the pot, and allow the Pilau to cook on low heat for 20 minutes. To make sure the pot is extra airtight, I used foil to seal the pot first before putting the lid on the pot.
- After 20 minutes, turn off the flame, and set the pot aside covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, uncover the pot, fluff the rice, and serve.
I enjoy my Chicken Pilau with a side of Kenyan salsa, Kachumbari, and some ginger beer.
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Recipe for Kenyan Chicken Pilau
Featuring a delicious East African pilau made with chicken, this Kenyan Chicken Pilau recipe is an elevated chicken and Kenyan Pilau dish that is very easy to make!
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | Main Course |
| Cuisine | East African, Kenyan |
| Servings | 6 - 8 |
| Calories | 549kcal |
| Cook Time | 35 minutes |
| Total Time | 35 minutes |
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of chopped bone-in chicken
- 3 cups of long grain basmati rice
- 2 cups of coconut milk + 2 cups of water
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic crushed
- 10 green cardamon pods
- 8 cloves
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black pepper corns
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bouillon cube
- Salt to taste
This remains my favorite way to cook this Kenyan pilau and it turns out great each time! Please be sure to rate this recipe and leave a comment below if you tried it!
How To Make Kuku Paka (Chicken In Coconut Curry) At Home | Passage To East Africa
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tags: #Kenya
