Simmering and Stewing • butter • cayenne pepper or red pepper • chicken • cilantro • clove • coconut milk • coriander • cumin • curry powder • garlic • ginger • lemon juice • oil • onion • parsley • potato • salt • sweet green pepper (bell pepper) • tomato • Eastern Africa • Tanzania
Kuku Paka
Kuku Paka, a chicken-coconut curry, is a Swahili dish from the coast of Eastern Africa. It is also sometimes called an Ismaili dish, and it shows up on some Indian menus — which all makes sense when one considers that the Swahili civilization itself is a mixture of influences from Africa, Arabia, and India. Etymologically, Kuku Paka is somewhat unclear. The African origins of Kuku Paka are clearly seen in the word kuku, which means chicken in Kiswahili (the Swahili language) and other African languages. But the pakapart is unclear. It’s notable that nazi (the Swahili word for coconut) is not used in the name of this dish, as it is in other Swahili dishes. Some say that paka denotes a dish made with coconut milk. However, paka is also the Punjabi word for delicious. (Paka is also the Swahili for cat, and it is related to Indian words for the verb to cook and pure; probably just a coincidence.) Gastronomically, there’s no mystery at all: it’s delicious chicken.
Kuku Paka Recipe
Kuku Paka, a chicken-coconut curry, is a Swahili dish from the coast of Eastern Africa.
Ingredients
cooking oil, for frying
1 onion, finely chopped
2 sweet green peppers (bell peppers), chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp curry powder (or a similar amount of a combination of ground cayenne pepper or red pepper, cumin, coriander, and turmeric)
3 whole cloves
1 tsp salt
2 lbs chicken, cut into small serving-sized pieces
1 cup water
4 potatoes, cleaned and cut into quarters
3 tomatoes, cut into chunks
fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
1
Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Over high heat fry the onions and green peppers for a few minutes, stirring constantly Stir in the minced garlic and fry for a minute longer. Add the spices and salt and mix well.
2
Add the chicken to the pot. (Add another spoonful of oil if necessary to keep chicken from sticking.) Brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Remove chicken and set aside.
3
Add the water to the pot and bring to a slow boil. Add the potatoes and cook them until they begin to become tender. Return the chicken to the pot and continue to cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the chicken and potatoes are done.
4
Stir in the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes more. Then add the coconut milk, reduce heat, and gently stir and simmer until sauce is thickened. Stir in the lemon juice. Garnish with the fresh coriander leaves or parsley immediately before serving.
Ingredients
cooking oil, for frying
1 onion, finely chopped
2 sweet green peppers (bell peppers), chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp curry powder (or a similar amount of a combination of ground cayenne pepper or red pepper, cumin, coriander, and turmeric)
3 whole cloves
1 tsp salt
2 lbs chicken, cut into small serving-sized pieces
1 cup water
4 potatoes, cleaned and cut into quarters
3 tomatoes, cut into chunks
fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
Directions
1
Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Over high heat fry the onions and green peppers for a few minutes, stirring constantly Stir in the minced garlic and fry for a minute longer. Add the spices and salt and mix well.
2
Add the chicken to the pot. (Add another spoonful of oil if necessary to keep chicken from sticking.) Brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Remove chicken and set aside.
3
Add the water to the pot and bring to a slow boil. Add the potatoes and cook them until they begin to become tender. Return the chicken to the pot and continue to cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the chicken and potatoes are done.
4
Stir in the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes more. Then add the coconut milk, reduce heat, and gently stir and simmer until sauce is thickened. Stir in the lemon juice. Garnish with the fresh coriander leaves or parsley immediately before serving.
Alternate Method. While the onions and chicken are cooking, boil or fry the potatoes in a separate pot. Add the cooked potatoes to the onions and chicken when the chicken is done, before adding the coconut milk.
Coconut milk? See Wali wa Nazi
Serve Kuku Paka with Chapati or Rice. Drink Cardamom Tea or Chai with the meal or afterwards.
Some cooks also add a bit of lemon juice and/or grated lemon peel as is done in Akoho sy Voanio, which is another African chicken-and-coconut dish, from farther south on Africa’s east coast.