Reprinted with permission from Third Culture Cooking by Zaynab Issa. Abrams Books. 2025. Photo credit: Graydon Herriott.

Riffat Khalfan, my mother-in-law, is a community leader I’ve admired from afar for most of my life. She’s a vision of elegance and strength and inspires many women she meets. While she might not care for food in the romanticized way that I do (unless we’re talking about butter), we do bond over a shared admiration for discipline, faith, a good deal, and clothes, of course.

Kuku paka, a coconut milk–based chicken curry, is an East African classic, and every family does it a little differently. Some serve it with rice exclusively, some with mandazi (a slightly sweet yeasted dough-nut), and some with crusty bread or naan. I’ll never forget the first time I tried hers. I was newly engaged to my now-husband and had begun attending Friday dinner, their weekly family meal, hosted at his parents’ house. While they usually do a potluck-style affair, this time my mother- in-law cooked for us all. At only nineteen years old, I was naturally anxious for the occasion—new family, new traditions, new dynamics to learn and understand. But one bite of her kuku paka and a metaphorical shoulder drop occurred in my brain.

This kuku paka isn’t like the more heavily spiced version I grew up with. It’s simpler, cleaner, and you taste each element distinctly. It’s undeniably different from what I knew while maintaining its nostalgic and comforting essence. I didn’t know it at the time, but this dish would come to symbolize much for me regarding the path my life was about to take—different from what I was used to but very good nonetheless.

Serves 6; 1 hour 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
• 4 Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric, divided
• 1½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 2 pounds (910 g) bone-in, skin- less chicken thighs, cut in half if large
• 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 2 (13.5-ounce/398 ml) cans full- fat coconut milk, preferably Chaokoh brand
• ½ cup (120 ml) warm water
• 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened oat milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• Basmati rice, naan, or mandazi, for serving

METHOD:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, cut side down, and cook undisturbed until browned on the underside, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl.

If the skillet looks dry, add another 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and sear, stirring occasionally, until charred in spots, another 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the same bowl and let stand until warm.

To the bowl, add the garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of the turmeric, the chicken breast and thighs, and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Stir to combine and leave to marinate on the counter for 10 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).

Divide the chicken between two baking sheets or 9 × 13–inch baking dishes (the chicken and tomatoes will release liquid, so be sure to use something with a rim). Cover with foil and bake until the chicken is just cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil, switch the oven to broil, and broil on high until the chicken is charred in spots, 3 to 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the coconut sauce: Combine the coconut milk, remaining ½ teaspoon turmeric, and warm water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the turmeric intensifies in color and the mixture thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.

Move the cooked chicken onto a plate. Using tongs, transfer the onion and tomato pieces to the pot with the coconut milk and pour in any juices from cooking the chicken. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.

Return the pot to the stove, add the chicken pieces and oat milk to the coconut sauce, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and taste for salt. Adjust to your preference, up to another 2 teaspoons salt.

Serve with basmati rice, naan, or mandazi.

Zaynab Issa is a recipe developer, food editor, content creator, and Bon Appétit contributor. After working on a self-published zine that formalized her family’s East African Indian recipes, she began freelancing at Buzzfeed and contributing culturally rooted recipes and stories to Bon Appétit and Food52.