Mala Chicken: a Spicy Buttermilk Mala Chicken Curry and Dill Pickled Rice recipe
This buttermilk chicken curry brings the brightness and spice any shared meal needs. Whether it’s a family gathering or catching up with friends, this will be the centerpiece of the occasion. Served with rice, chapati, ugali, pasta or mashed potatoes, your guests will all be catered for.
This fluffy, tasty, umami-packed rice is the perfect way to up your rice game. The recipe is simple but full of great aromatic flavors from the dill, pickles, and garlic powder.
After marinating tikka chicken in buttermilk, also known as maziwa lala or mala in Kenya, I got into the habit of adding my spiced and seasoned marinating mala into my side stews and curries. The result was this perfectly balanced chicken curry. It’s creamy and thick but also bright and spicy, with some ultra-tender chicken for a hearty fill. For me, this is Afro-fusion cuisine, with respect of the flavors and history behind our ingredients as the foundation, and then using that to adapt such a popular South Asian dish like curry and tikka, into a classic West and Central African ‘red sauce’.
A rice recipe that ticks all the boxes; fluffy, savory, and best of all, easy to make. Rice is a sponge, so it’ll soak up whatever flavor you give it, which makes it one of the best ingredients to work with when creating new personalized recipes. As one of the main ingredients eaten across the world, rice can taste different depending on the region the recipe has been influenced by. This recipe is inspired by classic Mediterranean flavors, and goes really well with deep, rich curries and roasted proteins.
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Mala Chicken and Dill Pickled Rice recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes + 1 hr for marination
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 38 minute
- Yield: Serves 4 1x
Ingredients
For the Mala Chicken:
500g chicken breasts
2 cups of buttermilk (divided)
1 cup of neutral oil (divided)
1 tbs of soy sauce
2 tsp nutmeg (divided)
2 tsp paprika (divided)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dana jeera, mixed spices, or garam masala
2 grated garlic cloves
1 medium-sized onion (finely chopped)
¼ green bell pepper (finely chopped)
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ a lemon’s juice
(Optional) 1 finely chopped jalapeno (replace with preferred chili)
Salt
¼ cup of chopped coriander
For the dill pickled rice:
2 cups of rice (preferably Jasmine rice)
3 ¾ cups of water
1 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of neutral oil
1 tsp of garlic powder
½ a cup of diced pickles
¼ cup of fresh chopped dill
Instructions
For the Mala Chicken:
- In a ziplock bag, marinate the chicken breasts with 1 tsp of salt, 1 cup of buttermilk, soy sauce, 1 tsp of paprika, ¼ cup of neutral oil, 1 tsp of nutmeg, 1 tsp of garlic powder. Allow to marinate for 1 hour or overnight for an even better infusion of the flavors.
- In a pan, bring about ½ cup of oil to 180°C. Sear your chicken breasts for 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until perfectly golden brown (the buttermilk proteins might char, but don’t panic).
- Remove the chicken from the pan but leave the pan on the stove. Reduce the heat to medium-high before adding the ¼ cup of oil left.
- Add your onions, grated garlic, bell peppers, 1 tsp of paprika, and 1 tsp of nutmeg, and sear until the onions soften and turn a golden brown. Take this time to chop your chicken breast into bite-sized cubes.
- Add your tomato paste, stir to combine well, and add ¼ cup of water to prevent burning. Cook this mixture for about 5-8 minutes, constantly agitating and stirring.
- Once your mixture has reduced and thickened, add 1 cup of buttermilk and your chicken cubes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Reduce your heat to medium-low, cover, and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent burning (add a little water if you notice it sticking to the pan).
- Add your chopped coriander and serve!
For the dill pickled rice:
- In a pot, add your rice, water, oil, salt, and garlic powder. Stir lightly just to combine before bringing it up to a boil. It should take about 3 to 5 minutes.
- As soon as it boils, add your pickles and dill, lower the heat to your stovetop’s lowest setting, cover, and allow your rice to steam for about 18 to 22 minutes.
- Take it off the heat and leave it covered for another ten minutes.
- With a fork, mix up the rice to make sure the dill and pickles are evenly distributed.
- Serve hot with your favorite side dishes.
Notes
- The curry keeps well in the fridge if kept in an airtight container.
- You can replace chicken with tofu or fish, but reduce the initial cook time to avoid overcooking your fish.
- The rice will stay fresh in the fridge for 2 weeks if covered in an airtight container.
- It pairs best with a thick spicy curry or in a wrap.
Keywords: mala chicken, buttermilk chicken, curry, garam masala, Kenya, rice, pickles, gherkins, dill
