Kenyan Chicken in Coconut Sauce

I tried this delicious dish at a party and was determined to make it myself. It is ridiculously easy and so very very tasty. It may look like just another curry, but it is packed with flavour and richness from the coconut milk. All the ingredients are readily available in Kathmandu and it is a perfect accompaniment to plain rice. Gluten-free and dairy-free.

Ingredients

• 500g chicken meat, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces. I use the Nina & Hager frozen chicken pieces for convenience but the traditional dish would use whole chicken pieces (such as legs) with the skin removed.
• 1 medium-large chopped onion
• 1.5 Tbsp. minced ginger
• 2 Tbsp. or 5 cloves minced garlic
• ¼ c canola or sunflower oil or ghee
• 1 Tbsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• *optional: 2 hot chili peppers, deseeded and chopped fine - omit for a milder dish!
• 2 cups finely chopped, peeled tomatoes (canned are fine)
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste (*omit if you use canned tomatoes, but adds a bit of depth if you are using fresh)
• 1 tsp to 1Tbsp sugar, to taste
• 1 15-ounce can of coconut milk
• Juice of one small lemon
• Salt
• Pepper
• ¼ cup cilantro

Directions

1. Prepare chicken and set it in a bowl to marinate with 1 tablespoon oil, lemon juice, a little bit of minced garlic and ginger, and salt and pepper. Let sit for 1-2 hours if possible.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok on medium to medium-high heat.
3. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, ginger and chilies if using. Cook another 5 minutes.
5. When onions are starting to caramelize, add cumin and turmeric and cook another minute.
6. Add tomatoes and stir in tomato paste if using.
7. Cook 1-2 minutes.
8. Add in chicken, along with remaining marinade. Cook another 1-2 minutes.
9. Stir in coconut milk, 1 tsp of sugar and a little salt and pepper.
10. Bring to boil, cover, and turn down to simmer.
11. Cook 30-40 minutes until chicken is cooked and sauce is reduced a little and thickened.
12. Add more sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
13. Serve with rice, brown works nicely for a healthier option.