Kuku Paka (Chicken With Coconut)

Name: Kuku Paka (Chicken With Coconut)
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: african
Ingredients: 4 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks on the bone; 3 plum tomatoes; 1 white onion, peeled and quartered; 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 4 serrano chiles, stemmed and seeded (use fewer if you prefer a mild dish); 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 2 tablespoons coconut oil; 27 ounces (2 cans) coconut milk; Juice of 1 lemon; Handful of cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish; Rice, chapati or flatbread, for serving

By Tejal Rao

Total Time: 1 hour, plus marinating
Rating: 4(1,633)
Comments: Read comments

This rich dish of chicken in a spiced coconut sauce comes from Kenya's coast, though creative cooks now produce variations of it all over the country. This simple version was adapted from many of them, including Kirti Patel, Agnes Kalyonge and the author Madhur Jaffrey. It requires slowly grilling the marinated chicken, ideally over charcoal — a little extra work that lends the finished kuku paka a wonderful smoky flavor — though in a pinch, you can use a grill pan on the stove. Note: The coconut sauce should be creamy but not flat, so be sure to spike it at the end with enough lemon juice to give it the edge of sourness that is one of this great dish's defining characteristics.

Featured in: A Kenyan Pursuit: Perfecting the Chicken Dish Kuku Paka

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

4pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks on the bone
3plum tomatoes
1white onion, peeled and quartered
12-inch piece ginger, peeled
4garlic cloves, peeled
4serrano chiles, stemmed and seeded (use fewer if you prefer a mild dish)
2teaspoons kosher salt
2teaspoons ground cumin
1teaspoon ground coriander
2tablespoons coconut oil
27ounces (2 cans) coconut milk
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful of cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish
Rice, chapati or flatbread, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Trim any excess skin from the chicken, keeping some skin intact. Score each chicken piece in 2 or 3 places, slicing about a half-inch into the meat. In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, chiles, salt, cumin and coriander. Process until a rough paste forms. Rub 1 scant cup of the mixture all over the chicken, into the cuts and under the skin, reserving the rest for the sauce. Set chicken aside in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 5.
Step 2
Prepare and light a charcoal grill. Meanwhile, as the grill heats, prepare the sauce: In a large pan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat and add the remaining paste, stirring occasionally, until all of the water in mixture evaporates and the oil separates, becoming visible on the surface, about 15 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring more frequently so the bottom doesn’t burn, until the paste is thick and dark and the raw smell has lessened, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and simmer until the sauce is about as thick as cake batter and has turned a mellow shade of orange, about 20 to 25 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Step 3
Grill the marinated chicken, turning the pieces so the skin is browned and the meat is cooked through, then add to the sauce. If the sauce has become too thick to coat the meat and provide a good gravy, stir in a splash of water. Turn the heat back on to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the flavors have melded. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice, then garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice, chapati or flatbread.

Tip

The coconut sauce should be creamy but not flat, so be sure to spike it at the end with enough lemon juice to give it the edge of sourness that is one of this great dish's defining characteristics.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,633 user ratings

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Comments

Monika (Vail CO)7 years ago

Deliciousnessss! Similar to another recipe I LOVE -
- Never have serranos in fridge so I add red pepper flakes
- I actually love raw marinades so I suggest leaving a bit separate from the chicken, whir in another 2 tomatoes and using it as a scrumptious fresh sauce for your flatbread
- 1/2 tsp orange or tangerine zest is da bomb
- PLEASE use whole fat coconut milk - I promise u won't get fat from it ;)

Sheila7 years ago

I don't have an outdoor grill. I'm thinking of browning these in a cast iron pan and then finishing them in the oven. Has anyone done it this way, who may have some advice?

northfork investor7 years ago

a couple ideas from my jewish kenyan grandmama: 1. add a teaspoon or two of decent quality curry powder to the other dry spices when making the sofrito 2. before you fry up the sofrito ingredients add the excess chicken skin (u dd save that didn't you?) and render it in the coconut oil fishing it out when crisp and when no-one else is looking to eat as a snack for the cook

Yummm5 months ago

I added turmeric when adding the coconut milk also only did 400 ml of milk and it was perfect amazing

christian7 months ago

When you add three plum tomatoes and a whole white onion to a food processor, how can you get a “paste” out of that, even with a good amount of dry spice? It’s more like a gazpacho. What am I missing?

Wispy9 months ago

I’ve been making this recipe for 6 years now and it is still my go-to chicken dish when I want the perfect marriage between easy and impressive. Marinade the chicken pieces in the morning and the rest comes together in minutes. Rave reviews every time. I have grilled the meat and also cooked it in a pan on the stove - it’s great either way. I usually serve it with plain rice and make sure to add plenty of lemon juice, it really is the key. Make this asap!

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