Tanzanian Chicken Curry Recipe

This dish is called “Kuku Nazi” in Swahili, which means ‘chicken coconut’. A blend of Arab and Indian spices with coconuts from the Tanzanian coastline, it is best served with Wali wa Nazi (coconut rice). It is a popular holiday dish served at Christmas, for example. This recipe is a favorite of our Executive Sous Chef in Daressalam, Zenaice Mvungi.

Travel Catering runs in the family

If you know his father and grandfather, don’t worry about his son,” an African proverb reads. This is certainly true for Zenaice Mvungi. His grandfather was an inflight chef with Air Tanzania and from an early age, Zenaice was inspired by his work and aspired to become a chef himself. At LSG Sky Chefs Tanzania, he leads a team of six chefs and is currently polishing his management skills at the Global Culinary Excellence Academy. With this chicken curry recipe, he presents us with a Tanzanian classic:

The Recipe

Ingredients

100g sunflower oil
100g onions, finely diced
2 tablespoons ginger, chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
500g chicken breast
(diced in 2.5cm large chunks)
100g tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced into 1cm big pieces
300ml coconut milk
240ml cream
300g potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon wedges, to decorate

How to prepare

1. Fry the onions in the oil until browned.
2. Add ginger, curry powder, cumin and cardamom (chili powder if desired) and sauté for about eight minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the turmeric (and garlic if desired) and sauté for another five minutes, stirring well.
4. Add the diced chicken, tomatoes, potatoes, coconut milk and cream and simmer at low heat in a covered pot for up to one hour, or until the chicken is tender.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with basmati rice and top with fresh chopped coriander leaves and freshly squeezed lemon.