How to make an African-inspired chicken curry
Kuku paka is a delicious chicken and coconut curry popular in East Africa.
Ingredients · Servings 6
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2.4 kg whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 1 large red onion (300g), cut into thin wedges
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh turmeric
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 500 grams heirloom tomatoes, quartered
- ½ cup (125ml) coconut milk
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
- Pineapple sambal
- ½ small pineapple (450g), cored, cut into chunks
- ½ cup (40g) flaked coconut, toasted
- ½ cup small mint leaves
Method · 260 min
- Heat half the oil in a 6-litre (24-cup) slow cooker on sear (high) setting. Cook chicken, turning, for 10 minutes until browned all over; remove from cooker and set aside.
- Heat remaining oil in cooker. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in turmeric, chilli, cumin, coriander, ginger and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant. Return chicken to cooker with tomatoes, coconut milk and stock; season. Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours or until chicken is tender and falling off the bone.
- Just before serving, make pineapple sambal. Place ingredients in a small bowl; stir to combine.
- To serve, divide chicken, tomato and sauce among bowls; top with pineapple sambal.
For a stovetop method for kuku paka, see the notes below the recipe.
Love cooking with chicken? Check out these creative chicken dinners, or our collection of slow cooker chicken recipes.
Stovetop kuku paka method
Don’t have a slow cooker? To make this on your stovetop, cook as directed using a large saucepan over high heat to cook chicken for 10 minutes; continue as directed from step 2, then add back the chicken to cook through over medium heat for 20 minutes.
