Cari Poulet Réunion

Medium·35 min active + 45 min resting

Réunion's national chicken curry — bone-in chicken simmered in massalé-tomato-onion-garlic-ginger-thyme sauce, served on a Réunion plate with rice, rougail piment-tomate, lentils, and brèdes (sautéed greens). The four-element creole plate is the household structure.

Cari poulet is Réunion's national dish, found at every household lunch and every restaurant. Structurally similar to Mauritian cari but with subtle differences: less combava, more thyme, slightly more turmeric in the massalé.

Spoon up cari poulet over rice with rougail and lentilles on the side. Chicken is fall-off-bone tender, sauce is thick-orange-red from massalé. Complex spice (coriander, fenugreek), thyme aromatic, kaffir lime floral citrus, tomato base. Rougail piment-tomate adds fresh acidic bite. Lentils give earthy ground. The complete Réunion plate.

Massalé toasted in hot oil releases volatile aromatics. Tomato + tomato paste create umami concentration. Kaffir lime leaves contain citronellal that's preserved by mid-cook addition. Slow simmering converts collagen to gelatin.

Variations

Cari boeuf uses stewing beef. Cari poisson uses firm white fish. Cari magret uses duck breast. Cari cabri uses goat. Vegetarian uses jackfruit + chickpeas.

On the Palate

Where Cari Poulet Réunion sits in the Reunionese flavor cloud

Cook to learn

Toast the massalé in hot oil for a full 90 seconds until it smells fragrant and nutty before the tomatoes go in — this blooms the fat-soluble aromatics and is what separates a deep curry from a raw, dusty-tasting one.

Techniques

Braising Tempering

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 whole (1.4 kg)Chicken

1 tsp groundCoriander Seed

3 tbspVegetable Oil

2 tspSalt

1Bay Leaf

How it's made

10 steps · 35 min active + 45 min waiting

1
16 min
Cut 1 whole chicken (1.4 kg) into 8 bone-in pieces. Season with 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp turmeric. Rest 15 min.
2
9 min
Brown chicken in 3 tbsp oil 8 min. Remove.
3
6 min
Cook 2 chopped onions 6 min until golden.
4
3 min
Add 6 garlic + 3 tbsp ginger + 4 thyme + 1 bird's eye chili. Cook 2 min.
5
3 min
Add 4 tbsp massalé + 1 tsp turmeric. Toast 90 sec.
Watch out
The massalé should darken a shade and turn fragrant in about 90 seconds — pull it before it smokes.
6
9 min
Add 4 diced tomatoes + 1 tbsp tomato paste. Cook 8 min.
7
31 min
Return chicken + 250 ml water + 4 kaffir lime leaves + 1 bay leaf + 1 tsp salt. Simmer covered 30 min.
8
9 min
Uncover; reduce 8 min.
Watch out
Keep it at a soft covered simmer; chicken is done when it pulls easily from the bone.
9
3 min
Stir in 3 tbsp cilantro.
Watch out
Uncovered, the sauce should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.
10
5 min
Serve on Réunion plate with rice, rougail piment-tomate, lentilles, and brèdes.