Martinican Colombo de Poulet
Colombo de Poulet is a popular dish in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The key ingredient is the spice bend Colombo powder (Poudre de Colombo) with brown mustard and white rice. You can find the seasoning at any market on the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. It's named after the capital of its origin, Sri Lanka.
Ingredients
Protein
- 1.5 lbs chicken legs
Fresh Produce
- 1 acorn squash
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 lemon for juice
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger grated
Packaged Goods/Staples
- salt & pepper
- oil
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp starch corn or potato
Colombo Culinary Spice Kit
- Pouch [1] Anise seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, brown mustard seeds
- Pouch [2] Turmeric, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, brown mustard, black pepper, cloves, white rice
Optional
- chili peppers sliced
Suggested Sides
- cooked rice
- plantain sliced, fried
- cooked kidney beans
- Caribbean rice & beans recipe
Instructions
Prepare
- Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces.
Marinate
- Season the chicken legs with salt & pepper to taste, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 2Â tbsp oil.
- Let them rest for 30 minutes.
Fry
- In a PAN, heat 2 tbsp oil over low-medium heat.
- Fry Colombo [1] spices about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Scoop the spices out. Set them aside.
- Fry the onions until they turn translucent.
- Add the ginger and chicken legs. Reserve the remaining marinade for later.
- Fry the chicken legs on all sides until they turn light brown, turning frequently.
Cook
- Add the chicken broth, the remaining marinade, Colombo [2] spices, and salt to taste.
- Return the fried spices.
- Optionally, add chili peppers.
- Cover, bring to a boil, and let cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- Add the vegetables and continue to cook for approximately 10 minutes until all ingredients are cooked.
- In a CUP, dissolve 1 tbsp starch in 2 tbsp cold water.
- Stir the slurry into the sauce until the sauce thickens.
Serve
- Serve the chicken with sauce and rice.
- Optionally, add beans and fried plantain.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Substitute the chicken with fish fillets (e.g. cod, halibut, haddock, pollack, bass) or shrimp and adjust the cooking time.
- Substitute the vegetables with zucchini, potatoes, eggplant, or any pumpkin. Make sure to have two different kinds.
- Add Caribbean Rice and Beans as a side.
