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Recipe: Caril de Frango, The Cross-Border Curry Chicken

Name: Caril de Frango, The Cross-Border Curry Chicken
Cuisine: Lisbon
Ingredients: ½ cup vegetable oil; 2 large onions (around 400g total), peeled and chopped finely; 3 bay leaves; 5 cloves garlic (around 15g total), peeled and minced; 3 tablespoons tomato pulp; 1 tablespoon curry powder; 2 teaspoons turmeric powder; 1½ cups coconut milk; 1kg bone-in chicken parts; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 small sprig cilantro, chopped Rice, for serving

By Austin Bush

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Recipe: Caril de Frango, The Cross-Border Curry Chicken

Recipe Information

An amalgam of recipes served in restaurants across Lisbon, this recipe results in a relatively dry, rich, fragrant, pleasantly oily curry. The standard curry powder in Portugal is Margão brand, named after a city in the former colony of Goa. A deep yellow hue is a hallmark of this type of curry, so we’ve boosted this by adding a bit of additional turmeric powder (known in Portugal as açafrão das Índias, “Indian saffron”). You can use whatever cuts of chicken you prefer, although this will impact cooking time. We used drumsticks and thighs, with the larger thighs halved lengthwise. For coconut milk, avoid the stuff in cans; UHT coconut milk from Thailand or Indonesia is much better in quality, and is readily available these days. Rice is the obligatory carb here; if you have access to it, serve your curry with Portuguese Carolino rice, cooked with a pat of butter and a pinch of salt, if desired. Pair this dish with a Portuguese lager such as Super Bock or Sagres.

Serves 4

Ingredients

½ cup vegetable oil
2 large onions (around 400g total), peeled and chopped finely
3 bay leaves
5 cloves garlic (around 15g total), peeled and minced
3 tablespoons tomato pulp
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1½ cups coconut milk
1kg bone-in chicken parts
2 teaspoons salt
1 small sprig cilantro, chopped Rice, for serving

Preparation

Step One

In a casserole or large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.

Step Two

Add onions and bay leaves and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are transparent, around 10 minutes.

Step Three

Add the garlic, tomato pulp, curry powder and turmeric powder, and sauté until fragrant and a fragrant layer of oil has emerged, around 10 minutes.

Step Four

Add the coconut milk, chicken and salt, increase heat, bring to a simmer, close the lid and maintain at a simmer, stirring occasionally, until a layer of oil has emerged and the chicken is as tender as you prefer, around 30 minutes.

Step Five

To serve, place on a serving dish, garnish with the cilantro and serve with rice.

Written & photos by Austin Bush

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