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Cari poulet
Chicken curry
Réunion and Mauritius chicken curry with turmeric, thyme and tomato
In Réunion a cari is any stew cooked with turmeric (called "safran" on the island), garlic, ginger, onion, tomato and thyme, and cari poulet is the dish families cook on Sundays in Saint-Denis and the mountain villages, often in a big cast-iron pot over a wood fire. It is served with white rice, red beans or lentils, and a fiery rougail on the side. The mistake is adding water too early: let the chicken brown and the tomatoes melt first, then add only a little. Chef's tip: thyme is essential in Réunionnais cooking; add it whole and fish it out before serving.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅞ lb chicken piecesbone in, skin removed
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionssliced
- 5 garlic clovescrushed
- ⅔ oz fresh gingergrated
- 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 4 tomatoeschopped
- 1 red chilliwhole
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¾ cup water
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat. Brown 2 ⅞ lb chicken pieces for 8–10 minutes until golden.
10 minStep 2: Add 2 onions and cook for 6 minutes. Pound or crush 5 garlic cloves and ⅔ oz fresh ginger with a pinch of the salt and add with 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric; stir for 1 minute.
7 minStep 3: Add 4 tomatoes, 4 thyme sprigs, 1 red chilli, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes melt.
10 minStep 4: Add ¾ cup water, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, then uncover for 5 minutes to thicken. The chicken must reach 165°F.
25 minStep 5: Remove the thyme stems and the chilli. Serve with rice, beans or lentils.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cari poulet take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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