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The Ultimate Five-Alarm Curry Chicken Recipe

Photo courtesy of Caribbean Pot.

The Ultimate Five-Alarm Curry Chicken Recipe

By Chris De La Rosa
Culinary Specialist

Chris-De-La-RosaThere’s something very WRONG about a Curry Chicken, which is not spicy. However, what we’re about to make here, is simply insane when it comes to raw heat. So be warned.

With an abundance of hot peppers from my garden and with my luv for spicy foods, I thought I’d share what I call my Five-Alarm Curry Chicken recipe with you.

Packed with the deep flavors of a good curry, and the added heat from organically-grown peppers, this curry chicken is absolutely delicious.

You’ll Need…
3-4 lbs Chicken (cut into pieces)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 small onion (diced)
3-4 cloves garlic (diced)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 large tomato (diced)
2-3 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 habanero peppers (sliced)
2 scotch bonnet peppers (sliced)
1 fatali pepper (sliced)
4 dried cayenne peppers
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 tablespoon curry powder
2-3 Carolina reapers (cut in half)
1 cup water
1 scallion (chopped)
3-4 leaves shado beni (optional – chopped)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (chopped)

Important: If doing this recipe gluten-free, be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten-free dietary needs — especially the curry powder you use, as some may have flour as a filler.

Let’s start by seasoning the cleaned chicken (I used legs and thighs, which I cut into small pieces) and remove the skin and fat as best you can. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, followed by the salt, black pepper, tomato, Caribbean Green Seasoning, habanero peppers, scotch bonnet peppers and fatali pepper. I included the seeds of the pepper as I wanted the raw heat. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water, immediately after handling such hot peppers. Stir well and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge.

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pot (I used a cast iron pot) on a medium heat, then go in with the onion and garlic. Turn the heat down, to as low as it will go, and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the dried cayenne peppers along with the coriander and cumin seeds, and with the heat still on low, cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes.

It’s now time to add your favorite curry powder (I have a blend I make, which is based on the Madras curry blend). Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the rawness of the curry is cooked out… it gets darker in color and the spices, which makes up a good curry powder, is allowed to bloom. You may need to add a bit more vegetable oil.

It’s now time to crank up the heat to high, and add the seasoned chicken to the pot. Stir well to coat in the curry base we created. Yes, it’s fine if the marinade goes into the pot as well. In the same bowl you marinated the chicken, swish around the cup of water to pick up any remaining marinade and set aside for use shortly.

Turn the heat down to medium, cover the pot and cook for about 5 minutes. At this point, you may add the remaining Carolina peppers (if you so desire using). It will spring its own natural juices. Now remove the lid off the pot and take the heat up a bit to burn off any liquid in the pot. This step will intensify the curry flavor onto the chicken pieces. Be sure to have the fan above your stove on or at least open your kitchen window, or you’ll risk being choked by the strong peppers.

When you can see the vegetable oil we started off with at the bottom of the pan, you may now add the water, along with he scallions and shado beni. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10-12 minutes.

The gravy should be somewhat thick at the point (it will thicken with the residual heat of the pot as it cools) and the chicken fully cooked (depending on how large pieces you used). Taste for salt (adjust) and top with the chopped cilantro.

There’s no mistaking that this is a very SPICY curry chicken dish and, to be honest, not for most people. However if heat is your thing, you’ll love this Five-Alarm Curry Chicken dish. You can certainly add more or remove some peppers, or play with different varieties of peppers if you wish.

This recipe is courtesy of Gourmand Award winning cookbook author and founder of CaribbeanPot.com, Chris De La Rosa. With over 450 printable recipes with step by step cooking instructions and demo videos, PLUS over 1 million social/fan connections globally every month, CaribbeanPot.com is the world’s #1 resource of Caribbean Culinary Culture. Connect with Chis on Instagram: www.instagram.com/caribbeanpot/.

One comment

  1. I want to thank you enormously for correctly naming this dish.. CURRY CHICKEN.. perfect recipe. Best suggestion for a side dish?

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