Posted on 01/12/2023 5:37:50 AM PST by Red Badger
NATIONAL CURRIED CHICKEN DAY
Each year on January 12th, curried chicken lovers enthusiastically celebrate National Curried Chicken Day. They fill their dishes with a variety of flavorful spices and serve them to their friends and family.
#CurriedChickenDay
When making a true curried chicken, don’t reach for the curry powder. Instead, stew the chicken in a sauce made from clarified butter (known as ghee) onions, garlic, and a medley of spices such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric. Other ingredients include chilies and tomatoes.
“Curries came into favor as an excellent way of using up cold meat.” Lizzie Collingham Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors
Curry powder made its way into recipes by way of Britain. Their long-time presence in India left a desire for the flavors of the East on the palates of many of the English. Curry powder and recipes with it existed as early as the 1700s but curried chicken and other curried meat recipes gained popularity during the British Raj beginning in 1858.
In parts of the United States, curried chicken is a popular dish known as Country Captain Chicken, a stewed chicken dish that has been flavored with curry powder.
Country Captain
The following clip, originating from the Hobson-Jobson Dictionary, is regarding Country Captain:
“COUNTRY-CAPTAIN. This is in Bengal the name of a peculiar dry kind of curry, often served as a breakfast dish. We can only conjecture that it was a favourite dish at the table of the skippers of ‘country ships,’ who were themselves called ‘country captains,’ as in our first quotation. In Madras the term is applied to a spatchcock dressed with onions and curry stuff, which is probably the original form. [Riddell says: “Country-captain.—Cut a fowl in pieces; shred an onion small and fry it brown in butter; sprinkle the fowl with fine salt and curry powder and fry it brown; then put it into a stewpan with a pint of soup; stew it slowly down to a half and serve it with rice” (Ind. Dom. Econ. 176).]“ 1792.—”But now, Sir, a Country Captain is not to be known from an ordinary man, or a Christian, by any certain mark whatever.” Madras Courier, April 26. c. 1825.—”The local name for their business was the ‘Country Trade,’ the ships were ‘Country Ships,’ and the masters of them ‘Country Captains.’ Some of my readers may recall a dish which was often placed before us when dining on board these vessels at Whampoa, viz. ‘Country Captain.’”—The Fankwae at Canton (1882), p. 33. (Wikipedia) –
“Country Captain was served to United States 32nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt along with General George E. Patton in 1940 by Mrs. W.L. Bullard of Warm Springs, Georgia. Their strong liking of the dish brought its popularity to the Southern United States.”
HOW TO OBSERVE CURRIED CHICKEN DAY
Invite guests to join you for this delicious dish. Any celebration is better when served to good company and joined with laughter. Try one of these recipes or share one of your own with us. We enjoy trying new recipes all the time. Another way to celebrate is by going to your favorite restaurant. Be sure to give them a shout-out with the hashtag, too! Spread the joy. It’s the best way to #CelebrateEveryDay!
Use #CurriedChickenDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL CURRIED CHICKEN DAY HISTORY
National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of this tasty food holiday.
Curried Chicken FAQ
Q. Is curried chicken spicy?
A. It doesn’t have to be. However, the types of peppers used will develop the spice level more than almost any other ingredient.
Q. What other kinds of curried dishes are there?
A. The variety of curried dishes is quite broad. Consider these the next time you’re ordering:
Tikka Masala
Red Curry
Green Curry
Vindaloo
Korma
Madras Curry
I think I would rather have lutefisk than curry anything. And I don’t eat lutefisk.
...with his one remaining taste bud.
Red Dwarf ping!
Eating enough curry will give you a “less-hard” pass.
I love curry, but don’t get it on a light colored garment. 4 washes and my daughter still doesn’t have out the tikka sauce.
National Curry Chicken Day:
You gotta be Shiite’n me,
-fJRoberts-
I love Indian food and curries, specifically. The only thing I make is Tikka Masala.
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