Kuku Wa Nazi

You should make this if for no other reason than to be able to tell your friends that you know how to make "Kuku Wa Nazi". The recipe was submitted to Saveur by a Kenyan home cook. I tweaked it just a bit, but we thoroughly enjoyed the tangy, creamy sauce and tender chicken. It will taste fairly bitter or sour until you add salt, but add a bit at a time, giving the flavors a chance to settle with each addition.


1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 green or red Thai chilies, stemmed, seeded, and minced
4 plum tomatoes, cored and minced
1 medium red onion, minced
4 skinless chicken thighs (bone-in is fine)
1/4 cup lime juice
2 14-oz. cans coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups cooked rice, for serving

Heat the oil in a 6-qt. pot over medium-high heat. Add the turmeric, garlic, chilies, tomatoes, and onions and cook, stirring often, until the onions are caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add chicken to pot along with lime juice and coconut milk. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over rice and garnish with more black pepper.