← Nouns Cooking · West & East African

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg chicken drumsticks and thighs
• 1 tsp Curry powder, divided
• 1 tsp Dried thyme, divided
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1½ tsp Salt, divided
• 3 red peppers, chopped
• 4 Tomato, chopped
• 2 Scotch bonnet chilli
• 2 Onion, 1 chopped, 1 diced
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 3 cm piece Ginger
• 125 ml Vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 2 Bay leaves
• 375 ml chicken stock

Method

1. Rub the chicken with half the curry powder, thyme and salt and all the paprika. Roast at 200°C (400°F) for 30–35 min until golden (or fry in batches), until it reaches 75°C (165°F).
2. Meanwhile, blend the peppers, tomatoes, scotch bonnets, chopped onion, garlic and ginger until smooth. Simmer the purée in a pot for 15 min, until reduced by a third.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and fry the diced onion for 3 min. Add the tomato paste and fry for 3–4 min until it darkens.
4. Pour in the reduced purée with the remaining curry powder, thyme, salt and the bay leaves. Fry for 20–25 min, stirring often, until the stew is deep red and the oil rises to the top.
5. Add the stock and the chicken with its pan juices. Simmer for 10 min so the flavours meld. Taste for salt and serve with white rice, jollof or boiled yam.

Tips

• Frying out the purée until the oil floats is what removes the sour, raw tomato taste.
• The stew freezes well for up to 3 months. Check stock cubes for wheat if needed.
• Wear gloves to cut or blend scotch bonnets, keep your hands away from your eyes and wash the board, knife and blender well afterwards.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Chef Lola's Kitchen Low Carb Africa Sisi Jemimah