Fried Chicken with Coconut Cream Sauce

We simply love chicken! Growing up in Kenya, I learned from a tender age that chicken was cooked for special occasions or special, respected visitors. When we visited my grandparents, they would immediately send for one to be slaughtered. So in celebration of this bird, we will cook fried chicken doused in coconut cream!

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (pieced)

2 medium sized red onions

1 cm long piece of ginger

2 cloves of garlic

2 tomatoes

Tomato paste

Dark soy sauce

Coconut cream

Parsley

Turmeric

Let’s Cook!

Chop the onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Pour some vegetable oil into a saucepan and let it get hot before putting the onions in. Let the onions sauté or cook until they are soft. Do not wait for them to brown as they will continue cooking as you add the other ingredients. Pour in the garlic and let it cook for about 1 minute as you continue stirring, then add half a teaspoon of turmeric and then the ginger. Continue stirring for another 30-40 seconds or so before adding the chicken. Be careful will the ginger because it burns easily, leaving a bitter taste.

Stir the mixture well, cover the saucepan, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 1-2 minutes, depending on how lean or fat the chicken is. If the chicken fatty, you may allow for the longer simmer as its own fat will break down and ensure it doesn’t stick to the pan.

Now take the dark soy sauce and dribble 1-1.5 table spoons on the chicken and stir well. Add the tomatoes and salt to taste, stir again, cover the pan and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, ¾ cup of chicken stock or water and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.

As the chicken simmers, chop your parsley. Take 3 table spoons of coconut cream powder and mix with 5 table spoons of water. When the 20 minutes are up, pour in the coconut cream and let it cook for 2 minutes. Take the parsley and add it to the chicken, leaving it to cook for no more than 5 minutes.

Your delicious meal is now ready to serve. You may garnish with additional fresh parsley as required. The coconut cream will give the chicken a sweet taste so this would go very well with the contrasting woody flavor of rosemary fried rice or the fresh flavor of mint or thyme rice.