Reunion chicken curry, known locally as cari poulet, is one of the most iconic dishes of La Réunion: chicken simmered with onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, turmeric and thyme, served with rice. On the island it is called a cari rather than a curry, because it is a Creole cuisine in its own right.
I tasted cari in La Réunion on 18 May 2023, at a Creole lunch in the middle of nature in Ilet à Cordes, in the Cilaos cirque, a place nicknamed the end of the world. Delicious cari was served to us there, in an authentic and warm atmosphere.
Here is the classic chicken cari recipe, for four people. It asks for a bit of patience but very little technique: the chicken simmers gently in its fragrant sauce until tender. Serve it with white rice, lentils and a little chilli.
The recipe
Classic recipeThe traditional recipe for the dish, not the one from the restaurant where I tasted it.
Ingredients
Cari
- 1 kg chicken legs (drumsticks and thighs), bone in
- 2 onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 cm fresh ginger
- 3 ripe tomatoes (about 400 g)
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp massalé spice mix (or mild curry powder)
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 small chilli (optional)
- 3 tbsp oil
- 400 ml water
- salt and pepper
- a few sprigs of coriander or spring onion
To serve
- 300 g basmati rice
- 600 ml water
Method
- In a large bowl, mix the chicken with 1 tsp of turmeric, 2 crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Marinate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the onions, grate the ginger, chop the remaining garlic and dice the tomatoes.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in two batches, about 10 minutes in total, then remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, cook the onions and thyme for 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, the ginger, the other tsp of turmeric and the massalé, and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Add the tomatoes and the whole chilli. Cook for 8 minutes, until the tomatoes have melted down.
- Return the chicken to the pot, pour in the 400 ml of water and add salt. Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes over low heat, stirring from time to time. Uncover for the last 10 minutes so the sauce thickens.
- Meanwhile, rinse the rice and cook it in the 600 ml of salted water, covered, over low heat for 12 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes off the heat.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the chilli, sprinkle with coriander or spring onion and serve the cari hot with the rice.
Tips and variations
- Keep the skin on the chicken: it adds flavour to the sauce. You can remove it when serving.
- For a milder cari, leave the chilli whole without piercing it, then remove it before serving.
- Cari is even better reheated the next day.
- It freezes for up to 2 months, without the rice.
Recipe shared for guidance only, adapt it to your equipment: times and temperatures may vary. Check for allergens (gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame…) and make sure ingredients are fresh. Raw or undercooked fish, meat and eggs are not recommended for pregnant women, young children, elderly or vulnerable people. Take care with hot oil, flambéing and alcohol. I am not a health or nutrition professional.