A Time in Africa

There is something I adore about an old, worn recipe - whether it's hand written or typed, on plain or lined paper. So much is expressed by the yellowed, acid-stained sheets. There's also something in the knowledge that it's been held dear by so many and changed hands under potentially interesting circumstances. In this case, the recipe above was obtained by my father-in-law from Baptist missionaries in Cameroon in the early 1960s when he was there as part of the Peace Corps. This (and pages for many other dishes) was prepared for foreigners working in isolated areas and called for ingredients available in local markets, the only alternative to the highly overpriced French stores that were found occasionally in some capital cities. 




Now, I'm not sure what part of this beautifully aged recipe is my favorite -  that it uses "cigarette tins" as a standard form of measure, that it "can also be served with Yam Foofoo" (of course!) or the suggestion that peanuts are known in some places as "monkey nuts." In any case, it ended up in my hands after I asked my father-in-law if he had anything that would address the needs of an old friend of mine, Camille, who I have known since my high school days in Taiwan. She recently moved to Gabon with her husband and children -  the same region of Africa in which this story begins - and recently asked me for an easy chicken curry recipe ("I don't have the talent to mess around in the kitchen or deal with random chicken parts") for which she would not need any specially ingredients ("Remember it's gotta be easy and accessible to those of us living in the 3rd world!"). Knowing she has two children under 5, I assumed it would also need to be somewhat kid friendly. 


So today I've come up with a fusion of past and present that will hopefully both satisfy my friend's request and - although she clearly lives in conditions far different from that of a 1960s Peace Corps volunteer - would also nourish a small connection with the place she now calls home. Essentially an extension of the 1960's version, it is lightly flavored (so the kids will go for it- this, along with the fact that it essentially contains peanut butter, will hopefully make it a hit), uncomplicated, and quite delicious!  


Groundnut (Peanut/Monkey Nut) Chicken Curry (Note: you will need a blender or food processor for this recipe. If you do not have one, it's best to use peanut butter in place of the peanuts for similar results).
     
Ingreditents: 


• vegetable oil or if available, ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 inch piece of ginger (around 2 tablespoons), finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 medium sized onion, diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced (optional)
• 2 large chicken breasts 
• 2 large tomatoes,chopped or a 14oz can of tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of garam masala (Indian curry spice blend) or, if unavailable, curry power
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• 3 cups of chicken broth
• 2 red peppers
• good handful of spinach
• 1.5 cups of roasted peanuts or 3/4 cups of crunchy peanut butter
• cilantro to garnish


Method: 


1. Heat oil in a pan and add garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds). 
2. Throw in the onions and allow to soften (around 10 min), seasoning with salt. 
3. Add the garam masla (or curry powder) and cumin. Heat for a few more minutes. If your garam masala is mild and you would prefer some kick, you can also add chili powder. 
4. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 cup of stock, cooking for about 5 more minutes. Season again with a little bit of salt. 
5. Blend the onion, garlic and tomato spice mixture. If you don't have a blender you may skip this step, but it does add a depth to the dish. Separately blend the peanuts with one cup of stock (you can leave some whole if you like a bit of texture), or mix together the peanut butter and 1 cup of stock. 
6. Back in the pan, fry the peppers and spinach in oil, adding about a cup of stock to allow them to soften. Add the chicken and fry until brown. 
7. Combine the blended mixtures with chicken and vegetables - serve with rice and garnish with cilantro. 

A part of the story I didn't quite get to is that my father-in-law made it back to Africa several times after his stint in the Peace Corps, namely to Zaire in the 1980's along with his wife and son. Interestingly, the easiest chicken curry recipe I know comes from his son/my husband (I could have made it easy and just simply shared that recipe with you, but what fun would that be?). For his Chicken Curry, skip the nuts and the blending and add your curry powder/garam masala to the onions after frying. Follow this by browning the chicken, and then adding a can of tomatoes. Before serving, stir in about 2 cups of plain yogurt. Serve with more yogurt and if available, mango chutney. Nothing is easier than that! 


If anyone with kids tries either of these recipes, let me know your thoughts! 


Until next time, enjoy!