Guyanese-style chicken curry - Art of Being Fabulous

Bonus – it’s gluten-free!

I love the aromatic smell of different spices and curry is one of them. There are so many different curry styles out there. My family is from Guyana, so Guyanese-style curry will always hold the top spot for me. But that’s because I love potatoes, and the amount of garlic and heat that goes into it! I mostly free-hand cook so a lot of recipes are hard for me to document. Chicken curry is one of the best things I make but I very much free-hand the way I add spices. I’ve tried to document it to the best of my ability! You can add more or less depending on your tastes, especially around the curry powder, garam masala, and cumin.

You can substitute the rice for roti; I haven’t learned how to make gluten-free roti yet!

Some of the health benefits include, helping to boost immunity, promoting weight and pain management, and helping with heart burn and stomach pains.

Guyanese-style chicken curry recipe for 6

Ingredients

Habanero peppers

3 cups of uncooked basmati rice
4 pounds of chicken, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
Curry seasoning for chicken and potato marinade (see below for ingredients)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 head of garlic
Your desired amount of habanero, wiri wiri or scotch bonnet pepper
Salt to your taste
Optional: Cilantro garnish

Curry

Lalah’s curry powder

4 cups water
4 tablespoons garam masala
4-5 tablespoons curry powder, I use Lalah’s brand
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves
Salt to your taste
Optional: 1 bay leaf, remove after cooking if using

Directions

Cook the rice according to package.
In a blender, combine medium onion, head of garlic, pepper, and 1/4 cup water. Blend until thick and smoothie-like in texture.
Wash and clean the chicken. Remove fat if not using lean chicken and chop into 3-inch pieces. Pat dry with some paper towel; set aside.
Add three tablespoons of the seasoning to the chicken. Massage into the meat and let it sit for a minimum of two hours. Add two tablespoons of the seasoning to potatoes before cooking.
In a bowl, mix the remaining seasoning, curry powder, cumin and 1/3 cup water into a paste.
Heat a pot with the oil. Add the curry mixture and sauté for two-three minutes, constantly stirring until mixture looks darker and is not watery.
Add chicken to the pot and stir to coat with the curry mixture. If using, add the bay leaf.
Cover pot and let the chicken cook for 15-20 minutes on medium heat stirring every once in a while. Remove lid and allow water from chicken to evaporate. The chicken will then start to look dry. Add salt and stir.
Add boiling water, tomato paste, and chopped potatoes and cover with a lid.
Let the curry boil on medium-high heat until gravy has reduced by 1/3 and thickens to your desired thickness.
Remove the bay leaf if using .
Serve with rice or roti.