Hawaiian Chicken Curry
January 12: National Curried Chicken Day
Chicken curry is a college comfort food for Islander. She and her Sri Lankan roommate, Champa S., would eat her kukul mas (see our blog recipe post) during their university days together. When Islander moved to the mainland for an advanced education, she continued to cook chicken curry using a packaged mix in the microwave at the dorm lounge when the cafeterias were closed. She shared her version of the Hawaiian-style stew with other international residents, including hungry Highlander, during study breaks and socials.
Cooking chicken curry from a mix made for an easy microwavable meal when we got married. But the seasoning packets are not always available so Islander has been preparing Hawaiian chicken curry from scratch. For National Curried Chicken Day, our blog recipe post features a local-style stew (not the touristy-type dish containing pineapples!) that is a popular menu item at Hawaii diners, drive-ins and restaurants.
Recipe
(Adapted from The Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-inch piece of ginger, crushed
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 can (13.5 ounces) canned coconut milk
- 1 – 1 ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 medium potato, cut into small cubes
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cooked
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Directions
Boil the chicken for 15-25 minutes. Let cool and chop into bite-sized pieces. Melt the butter with the onion, garlic and ginger in a covered microwave-safe casserole dish for about 3 minutes.
Stir in the curry powder, flour and salt. Mix in the coconut milk and broth. Add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and microwave for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened. Check to see if the vegetables are softened and cooked through; if not, microwave for another 5-10 minutes.
Add the chicken to the curry sauce. Cover the casserole dish and microwave for another 3-4 minutes. Stir to coat the chicken with the curry sauce. Serve hot with a garnish of chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Serve Hawaiian chicken curry over scoops of steamed white rice with a side of macaroni salad for a perfect plate lunch—local-style!
- Search our blog for posts on other curried chicken recipes.
HI COOKERY 
January 18, 2011 at 1:52 am
This was great!I used Green Curry Paste that I bought at Whole Foods.
April 3, 2012 at 11:19 pm
THE BEST CXN CURRY EVER!! Got so many compliments on it!!!
August 2, 2021 at 3:51 am
Can you tell me about the serving? How many people can be served?
August 2, 2021 at 5:43 pm
Ah, this is always difficult for us to answer because some people eat more or less than others. So what is considered their “normal” serving size always differs, depending on what else is served or how hungry they are. We approximate our Hawaiian chicken curry dish to serve around 4-5 people. Hope this helps! Mahalo for stopping by our blog. Aloha.
January 31, 2023 at 3:21 pm
Hello! What kind of curry powder do you recommend? I assume the traditional Yellow Curry powder that is easily found in nearly every grocery store, but would like to confirm.
Thank you!
February 7, 2023 at 10:52 pm
Aloha, Jon. Yes, we use whatever curry powder is available or on sale. Most likely it’s easier to find the spice bottle with the red cap. Enjoy!
February 7, 2023 at 10:58 pm
Thank you so much! Do you have any recipes for “Polynesian Curry”? My grandparents lived in Honolulu while my grandfather was stationed there for military service. My grandmother used to make what she called Polynesian Curry. We never found a recipe, and assumed she was taught to make it by the grandmas at her church. Any ideas you have would be amazing!
February 8, 2023 at 1:24 am
Hello, Jon. Oh, I haven’t eaten “Polynesian Curry” in ages. My cousin (Hawaiian-Chinese-Filipino) is married to a Samoan-German and they would eat something similar to Hawaiian chicken curry called Kale Moa (not the green leafy veggie but pronounced like “kah-lay” and the word “moa” is a general Polynesian name for chicken even in the Hawaiian language). A Tongan lady married into our Scottish clan and she also makes Kale Moa once in a while. Others also throw in bits of pineapple in the curry to sweeten the sauce/gravy as some curry powders are strong. So maybe do an internet search for Kale Moa + the specific Polynesian island. Also, Noh Foods brand sells a ready-made Hawaiian curry sauce mix. We use that in a pinch. I hope this info helps. And mahalo nui loa for your grandfather for his military service!