You may know her as Kitchen Butterfly, but Ozoz Sokoh trained as a scientist before turning her attention to food—not only to how it is made, but also to experimentation, how food travels, and the traces it leaves through history.
Her award-winning book, Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria, is a labour of love and the culmination of years spent thinking about, documenting and trying to understand Nigerian food—both as a Nigerian and as a scientist.
We explored all this and more in our conversation. And, with Ozoz’s kind permission, we have reproduced below her Chicken Curry recipe from Chop Chop.
Chicken Curry
Serves 4 to 6
This vibrant and delicious dish connects Nigeria, Japan and Korea by way of British colonialism and “curry powder” from India. You can swap the chicken for beef, mushrooms or your favourite vegetables. Whatever you do, don’t skip the green bell peppers—they add flavour and fragrance to the sauce.
Serve with white rice or spaghetti.
Ingredients
1 pound (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1- to 2-inch (2.5 to 5 cm) chunks
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup (60 ml) peanut oil or other neutral oil
3 medium red onions, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
2 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon Curry Powder (page 25)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 medium starchy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or russets, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
1 small green bell pepper, cut into small dice
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup (240 ml) Curry Stock (page 333) or water
2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour
Method
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the ginger and the garlic. Rub the seasonings into the chicken, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a large sauté pan, heat the groundnut oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add half the onions, the bay leaves and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onions soften and brown, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the curry powder and thyme. Cook until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes, then add the chicken, potatoes and carrots. Cook, stirring well every now and again, until the chicken loses its raw appearance and releases its juices, and the liquid begins to boil—about 10 minutes.
Add the remaining onions, the red bell pepper, half the green bell pepper, the black pepper, turmeric, curry stock and 1 cup (240 ml) water, then stir. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and 1 cup (240 ml) water to form a smooth slurry. Add the slurry to the pan and stir to incorporate, then cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining green bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, until it brightens in colour and softens slightly. Taste and add more salt if needed. Discard the bay leaves before serving.
