Margarita's International Recipes

Guyana

Guyanese Chicken Curry Chicken curry is a staple in Guyanese cuisine, brought to the country by Indian indentured servants during the middle of the 19th century. While it remains true to its South Asian origins, it has taken on some autochthonous characterists, such as the use of thyme (which might actually be oregano) and wiri wiri peppers, a type of very spicy cherry pepper native to Guyana. If you like your food spicy, you can substitute with an habanero – I used just half a serrano pepper and it had all the spice I could handle (granted, I'm a wimp). This curry was quite tasty, and both my husband and I enjoyed it. Print PDF Guyanese Chicken Curry Ingredients For the seasoning sauce 1/2 onion, peeled and cut in wedges 8 cloves garlic, peeled 1/2 tsp thyme 1 wiri wiri or cherry pepper (see above) For the chicken curry 4 lbs chicken parts 1/4 cup garam masala-curry 3 Tbsp curry powder 1/2 tsp ground cumin 6 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp tomato paste 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 cloves 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional) Directions Make the seasoning Using an electric blender, puree all the ingredients for the seasoning with 2 tablespoons of water. Prepare the curry Optional step: soak the chicken in a bowl of water with lemon juice or vinegar to clean. Pat dry. Roast in the oven or sautee on a pan, using high heat, until the skin is golden. Let cool. Place chicken in a large bowl. Add 2 Tbsp of seasoning sauce and rub all over. Let rest for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put the rest of the seasoning in another bowl. Add the garam masala, the curry powder, the cumin and 1/3 cup hot water. Mix into a paste. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garam marsala paste and fry for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the water evaporates. Add the chicken to the pot and stir to coat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all liquid evaporates. Add salt. Add 3 cups of boiling water, tomato paste, potatoes and cloves. Raise heat to medium and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened by at least a third. Adjust seasoning. Optionaly add chopped cilantro before serving. Adapted from a recipe at The Inner Gourmet Guyanese Recipes | Marga's International Recipes | Marga's Best Recipes | Marga's Food Blog | E-mail