If you’ve been around here a minute, you know I was born in Trinidad and my family and I emigrated to the United States when I was four. All things Trini still make my heart sing, and we’re so disappointed that our first trip home to Trinidad with Asher won’t be happening this spring like we’d planned. I’m determined that Ashe will grow up knowing where his roots trace, even if we’re far away, so I’ve been making more Trinidadan food lately.
This chicken and channa curry is total comfort food for me- the version I make is just a little different than my mom’s, which is scrawled in the margins amending the version in the Naparima Girls High School Cookbook (like the Trinidadian Joy of Cooking) but that roundabout recipe is typically Trini. It’s easy and flexible to modify for what you have on hand, and super savory and delicious. You can make it thicker like a stew, or serve it with rice, roti, naan- whatever you’d like!
More notes after the recipe..
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (I usually use like half a head, tbh)
- 1-1.5 cup chopped onion (2 small-medium or one biggie)
- 3 tablespoons Chief curry powder, divided
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1.5 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
- .5 tablespoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup coconut milk (half a can- eyeballed)
- 1 cup water
- 1-2 cans chickpeas
1. In a medium bowl, season chicken with 1 tablespoon adobo and 1 tablespoon curry powder. Stir in minced garlic and set aside to marinate for at least half an hour.
2. Sauté onion on medium heat till golden and translucent. Add all spices and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes or until very fragrant.
3. Make room in the pot to add the tomato paste- stir fry it by itself for a few seconds till sizzly, then stir into onion base and cook together for a few minutes.
4. Add marinated chicken and any accumulated juices to pot, stir through. Cook, stirring every few minutes to help the curry base meld, and then start to dry out- about 10 minutes. Keep it moving and cook till dry.
5. Add coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.
6. Simmer gently 20 minutes till chicken starts to yield to a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Add chickpeas, simmer 5-10 minutes.
Notes-
On curry powder: I am brand loyal to very few things, but Chief’s curry powder is one of them- it’s made in Trinidad and just so flavorsome that I use it religiously. I’ve also made this curry with Penzey’s hot curry powder as a sub- I needed an extra spoonful and some more salt and cayenne when adjusting seasoning at the end, but it may just be what my tastebuds are accustomed to.
On chicken: I used bone-in thighs in this batch, but use any meaty cut- just make sure it’s all similarly sized pieces. My mom usually chopped up a whole chicken when I was growing up, but now I think skinless, bone-in breast and thighs make my favorite.
On veggies: I usually use two cans of chickpeas, sometimes three because we all love them and they are good Asher leftovers. Potato is also delish- peel and chop into bite size chunks and add after the coconut milk and water have come to a boil. Chopped greens, like spinach, kale or chard, or fresh green beans can also be added with the chickpeas.
On “cooking dry:” This is the most time- consuming part of a good curry but the most important. Cooking the base till the aromatics break down and it dries out enough that there are patches of bare, dry pan when you are stirring makes for intense layers of deep, caramelized flavor.
Hope you get a chance to make this yummy curry- let me know if you have any questions or need help!
And if you make it your own, make sure and tag me so I can see!
Love, Ravayna
