” Lazima tumake hii tena on Saturday!!!” (We must make this again this Saturday!!!) My youngest sister said after she saw the sneak peak I shared of this recipe on my Instagram Story on Monday. You guys were equally as excited and looked forward to having this recipe on the blog. I revealed that I had added a little twist to my usual chicken marinade ingredients that my mom taught me and the results were explosively delicious. Since I had some Ukwaju (tamarind) sitting pretty in the fridge, I decided to incorporate it into the marinade; and that has been one of the best cooking decisions I have made in a long time! Supper this past Monday was spectacular!!! And for the sake of my youngest sister, I shall make this once again this coming weekend and have her enjoy the same deliciousness! You should too ;))
For my first recipe this glorious month, I bring you my ukwaju marinated spicy chicken thighs.
PREP TIME: 15 MIN COOK TIME:45 MIN SERVES:4
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary
5 tablespoons of balsamic (or apple cider) vinegar
1 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of chilli flakes
1/4 cup of ukwaju (tamarind) paste
Shalimar chicken tikka spice blend
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
Method
Remove your ukwaju from the pod if you purchase them unpeeled. Mine came already peeled.
In Nairobi, you can get Ukwaju from Zucchini, Food Plus, Ngara food market and the vegetable vendors at City Market. Place them in a pan with some water and let this simmer on low heat. After about 10 minutes, turn down the heat and let the ukwaju soak for another 10 minutes. They will swell up and make it easier to separate the pulp from the seeds. I learnt this from Pendo La Mama (check out this post where she makes tamarind paste too <3). You can do the extraction overnight too, but if you are in a rush, this method works.
Remove the pulp and then discard the fibers and the seeds.
Place your chicken in a bowl. Add the vinegar, rosemary, garlic and ukwaju. Mix it lightly then add all the spiced and mix well until completely combined. I usually use apple cider vinegar for my chicken marination, however lately I have been enjoying the flavor that balsamic vinegar has to offer. You can alternate between both vinegars and settle on the one you feel works best. Both kinds are sold in our local supermarkets at about 200 bob a bottle.
Once ingredients are fully combined, cover with a lid and let this marinate refrigerated for 8 hours or up to 3 days. Remember, the longer it marinated, the more intense the flavors shall be.
After the marination is done, some fluid will have collected in the bowl. Pour all this into a sufuria and boil your chicken. I boil my chicken with all the marinade contents before seasoning because I feel it intensifies the flavor. You have to boil it until all the liquid dries up; that will intensify the flavor by concentrating it as opposed to having it watery and less concentrated. If you prefer not to boil before seasoning, you can skip this step.
Once done, dip it in a paste of shalimar + black pepper; the same thing we did here. I bought my shalimar from Nakumatt at 100 bob a pack. Make sure to ALWAYS season your chicken before frying!!!
Once coated in your seasoning paste, we are ready to fry. This thighs look so delicious even before we are done cooking!!
Shallow fry the chicken until completely done and crispy. You will only need to flash fry so make sure your oil is hot enough so that your skin becomes crispy. Using cold oil will make the chicken soggy as it will soak up too much of it.
Remove from heat and serve. My ukwaju marinated spicy chicken thighs are the best thing you will ever sink your teeth into without doubt!
The spicy tikka-peppery seasoning beautifully compliments the tender marinated chicken flesh; which has the warm flavors of the garlic, herby taste of the rosemary and the bold flavor of our ukwaju. Layer after layer of absolute taste bud euphoria!!!
Whether with fries, potato wedges or ugali, my ukwaju marinated spicy chicken thighs will be a major hit on your dinner table! So for this new month, step out of what you are used to and try out some big, bold flavors!
This recipe was part of Black History Month virtual potluck where black bloggers from all over the world (Africa, North America, South America, The Carribean) made their (delicious!!) contributions. Do check out their delicious creations and get inspired to create that good food with a sprinkle of black magic ;)) !!!!!! These are 27 recipes, so for each day this month, try out one :)). They include :
Meiko and the Dish | Crispy Fried Chicken with Pepper Jelly Molasses
Whisk It Real Gud | Trinidad Oxtail Pelau
Raised on Ramen | Caramelized Plantain Tacos with Pecan-Honey Butter
Dash of Jazz | Aunt Georgia’s Peach Cobbler
Foodie In New York | Twice Baked Yams
The Seasoning Bottle | Jamaican Sorrel/Senegalese Bissap
Chef Kenneth | Smothered Okra with Shrimp
Savory Spicerack | Po’ Boys with Cajun Tempura Shrimp
Chocolate For Basil | Groundnut Stew (Peanut Stew)
Simply LaKita | Banana Pudding
My Forking Life | Callaloo and Saltfish
Kaluhi’s Kitchen | Ukwaju (Tamarind) Marinated Spicy Chicken Thighs
Sweet Savant | Coffee-Rubbed Lamb Ribs
Salty Sweet Life | Southern Greens Shakshuka
Eat.Drink.Frolic. | Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
I Heart Recipes | Southern Fried Cabbage
Jehan Can Cook | Mango Turmeric Smoothie
Margarita’s On The Rocks | Lemon Pepper Fish Tacos with Collard Green Slaw
A Soulful Twist | Slow-Cooker Gumbo (Gluten Free)
The Kitchenista Diaries | Coconut Milk Braised Collard Greens
My Life Runs On Food | Orange Chocolate Smoothie
Butter Be Ready | Skillet Cornbread
D.M.R. Fine Foods | Curry Chicken Pot Pie
The Inner Gourmet | Lamb Fried Rice
Marisa Moore Nutrition | Hoppin’ John Patties with Warm Tomato Salsa
The Hungry Hutch | Blood Orange Cornmeal Cake
To fantastic food,
-K
Get your downloadable recipe here :))
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Hey there! My name is Kaluhi and I love food! Through my blog, I am happy to share with you my self-taught recipes, steeped in nostalgia and the happiest of memories. I hope each recipe you try out is as addictive as the previous one and is shared on a table full of love and hearty laughs!
HI, THIS LOOKS DELICIIIOOOUUUSSS PLEASE SEND ME THE RECEPIE ON EMAIL, THANK YOU
The full recipe is right infront of you and at the very bottom you can down load a copy that you can save on your phone/tab/pc.
I. AM . FINISHED.
I can actually visualize the taste. Thank you Kaluhi
Wait till you try it out! You will literally faint coz of sheer delight! <3
hy, am Somali and I like this but honestly i don’t know all the things you have used and where it can be found
Tell me SPECIFICALLY which ingredient you are looking for. I do not know what you are looking for and it would be easy if you told me what you are searching for so that I can direct you.
i am already having mouthgarsms…a must try, i repeat ,a must try
correct!!!
Hi.
Fantastic recipe indeed!
If I cannot find the Shalimar, what can I use as a substitute?
Unfortunately I do not think I can suggest a substitute for shalimar since it is a spice blend with a very particular taste. I would suggest you make this with just the pepper and royco or wait until you get shalimar.
Hi. Is there any substitute for the shalimar cause I can only find for fish and prawns
I would suggest you eliminate it and use only the royco and pepper. It willl turn out ok. Then when you can, find the tikka one and try with it next time you try the recipe.
Kindly instruct me on how to use the two.. I’m I to make a paste ama??
How to use two what? Kindly be SPECIFIC so that I can help you?
You’ve advised me to use Royco and pepper. My question is whether you substitute the shalimar with the Royco and if so how do I make the coating paste out of the Royco and pepper??
You said you cannot find Shalimar, right?? And I said, since you cannot find one of the three spices I uses (ieroyco, pepper and shalimar) eliminate shalimar and use only the remaining two (i.e royco and pepper). Make the coating the exact way I have instructed in the post (i.e by mixing the two with a bit of water and mixing it all up) I really really really hope you have read the post because I have explained all that.
I did.. Thanks a lot
I tried the recipe for my family and friends over the weekend and they loved it. Thanks.. Still following
Hello! I really want to try these recipe. I am in the states. Where can I find Shalimar and Ukwaju? We have international Marts here and some carribean, Spanish and Indian food stores. I just don’t know where to start and Google wasn’t no help.
The Indian food store might be of help. You can ask them for a chicken tikka spice blend, which I am sure they will help you out :))
Hi. Since Nakumatt closed down, where else can one source the Shalimar paste?
CarreFour. Or any other good, well stocked super market.