There are some foods that immediately take you back to a certain kind of Sunday. For me, culls chicken curry cooked outside over an open fire is one of them.
Long before outdoor cooking became something people styled for social media, families were already doing it because that was simply how things were done. A big pot on the fire, people coming and going, somebody watching the heat, somebody peeling potatoes, somebody checking the meat and everybody eventually gathering around the food.
In many South African Indian homes, especially in and around Durban, cooking over an outside fire was part of family life. It happened at gatherings, on relaxed weekends and whenever there was a crowd to feed.
The fire itself was almost part of the recipe.
You learnt not to rush it. You waited for the wood to burn down properly, watched the coals, moved the pot when the heat became too fierce and added another piece of wood when it started fading.
And while the curry cooked, life happened around it.
There would be talking, laughing, people walking past the pot to have a look, somebody offering an opinion nobody asked for and probably an uncle insisting the fire needed more wood. 😂
Those are the memories I think of when I cook something like this now.
In South Africa, particularly in Durban Indian communities, you may hear older chickens referred to as culls, fresh chicken, Cornish chicken or hardbody chicken.
These names are sometimes used interchangeably in everyday conversation, but they do not all mean exactly the same thing.
A cull hen is generally an older bird that has reached the end of its laying or breeding cycle and is then sold for meat.
Because the bird is older than the young broiler chicken most of us buy in supermarkets, the meat is firmer, darker and much more robust in flavour.
That also means it takes longer to cook.
This is not the kind of chicken you can rush through a quick 30-minute curry and expect to be tender.
It needs time.
The term Cornish chicken is also used quite loosely in South Africa.
Strictly speaking, Cornish refers to a breed or cross associated with meat production, while culls usually refers to older laying or breeder hens.
In everyday South African cooking, however, many people use “Cornish”, “fresh chicken”, “hardbody” and “culls” to describe firmer, more mature birds.
For this recipe, though, I am calling it what it actually was:
A culls chicken curry.
That distinction matters because the cooking time and texture are very different from ordinary broiler chicken.
Culls chicken is not the kind of chicken you rush.
The meat is firmer and more developed than ordinary broiler chicken, which means it needs time to soften properly.
That slower cooking is exactly what makes it so well suited to an outside fire.
There is something about tending a curry over wood that suits this kind of meat.
You are not watching a timer every five minutes. You are watching the fire, checking the pot and letting the chicken tell you when it is ready for the next stage.
That is how many older cooks worked anyway.
Less obsession with exact minutes. More cooking by smell, texture, sound and experience.
One of the things I remember most about older South African Indian family gatherings is that cooking was rarely a solitary job.
There were always people around.
Someone was cutting. Someone was stirring. Someone was carrying things in and out of the house. Someone had appointed themselves fire manager.
And once that curry started bubbling, everybody somehow knew where the pot was. 😂
Outdoor cooking created its own little gathering place. Check out my wood-fired Durban Lamb Curry here and get all the tips for wood fire cooking.
You stood around the fire because it was warm, because it smelled good and because that was where the conversation was happening.
The smell of wood smoke, curry leaves, onions and masala became part of the memory just as much as the food itself.
Those are the kinds of traditions you do not always recognise as traditions while you are living them.
At the time, it is just lunch.
Years later, you realise it was part of the way a community gathered.
For this curry, the fire needs to be ready before the pot goes on.
You do not want a roaring flame directly under the pot for the entire cook.
What you want is a steady bed of hot coals with a manageable flame.
The fire should be hot enough to fry the onions and spices properly at the beginning, but steady enough that the curry can cook gently later without burning.
Keep extra wood nearby so you can add to the fire as needed.
And do not be afraid to move the pot slightly if the heat becomes too intense.
Cooking over wood is never as exact as cooking on a stove, so you have to work with the fire rather than against it.
After the onions, curry leaves, ginger and garlic have cooked, the culls chicken goes into the pot with coarse salt.
I cover the pot and let the chicken cook for a while in its own moisture before adding the curry powder.
This gives the meat time to begin releasing its juices and starting the tenderising process.
Only then do I add the Durban curry powder.
The curry powder needs a few minutes to cook properly onto the chicken before the tomato and water are added.
If the pot becomes too dry at this stage, add only a small splash of hot water so the masala does not burn.
Culls chicken takes much longer to soften than ordinary chicken.
If you add the potatoes too early, they can completely fall apart before the chicken is ready.
I wait until the chicken has started to soften before adding the potatoes.
That way the potatoes cook in the masala and chicken juices without turning into mash.
I use quite a lot of potatoes because we love them in curry.
You can absolutely use fewer if you prefer.
I use 4 to 5 tablespoons of Durban curry powder, but the exact amount depends on how strong your curry powder is and how spicy you like your food.
If you prefer more heat, you can add a little extra Durban curry powder.
You can also add fresh green chillies when frying the onions.
As always, taste your curry powder and work according to your own heat preference.
Place your pot over a steady wood fire and add the oil.
Once hot, add the mixed whole spices and half of the curry leaves.
Allow them to fry for about a minute until fragrant.
Add the sliced onions and fry until translucent and just beginning to brown.
You do not need to take them very dark, but they should be softened and lightly caramelised.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for about a minute.
Keep stirring so it does not catch on the bottom of the pot.
Add the chicken pieces and coarse salt.
Mix well, cover the pot and allow the chicken to cook for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
During this time the chicken will begin releasing its own moisture.
Check the pot occasionally and adjust the fire if necessary.
Add the Durban curry powder and mix thoroughly so the chicken is well coated.
Cook the curry powder onto the chicken for approximately 5 minutes.
If the masala becomes too dry or starts catching, add a small splash of hot water.
Add the chopped tomato and mix well.
Allow the tomato to begin breaking down into the masala.
Add enough hot water to allow the chicken to cook gently.
Cover and cook for approximately 45 to 60 minutes, checking occasionally.
Because this is culls chicken and because you are cooking over a wood fire, the exact time can vary considerably.
Do not rely on the clock alone.
Check the meat with a knife or fork. Once it begins to soften, you are ready for the potatoes.
Add the halved potatoes and the remaining curry leaves.
Add more hot water as needed and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is fully softened.
Keep an eye on the fire during this stage. You want a steady simmer rather than a violent boil.
Once the chicken and potatoes are tender, sprinkle over the garam masala.
Adjust the salt and seasoning if necessary.
Finish generously with chopped dhania (coriander).
Remove from the fire and allow the curry to rest for a few minutes before serving.
This is one of those recipes where I would rather tell you what to look for than give you one exact measurement.
Culls chicken can release different amounts of liquid depending on the bird, and cooking over a fire means evaporation is less predictable than cooking on a stove.
Use hot water as needed.
Add enough to keep the curry cooking gently without turning it into a thin soup.
You can always add a little more.
It is much harder to remove too much water once the curry is nearly done.
This is one of the most important parts of the recipe.
Culls chicken should not feel rubbery or resistant when you test it.
Insert a small knife into one of the thicker pieces.
Once the meat begins to yield and feels noticeably softer, you can add the potatoes.
By the end of cooking, the chicken should be tender but still have more texture than ordinary broiler chicken.
That firmer texture is part of what makes culls curry so distinctive.
Yes, but the cooking time will be very different.
Ordinary supermarket broiler chicken cooks much faster than culls chicken.
If you use standard chicken pieces, reduce the long simmer significantly and add the potatoes much earlier.
Do not follow the culls cooking time or you risk overcooking the chicken.
Absolutely.
I use 4 to 5 potatoes because we love potatoes in curry.
If you prefer a meatier curry, use 3 potatoes or even fewer.
The important thing is to add them only once the culls chicken has started to soften.
This kind of curry does not need much.
Serve it with:
And if you have enough gravy and soft potatoes in that pot, you really do not need much else. ❤️
This Wood-Fire Culls Chicken Curry is not a complicated recipe.
It is chicken, onions, potatoes, curry powder, tomato and time.
But sometimes the simplest food carries the most memory.
It reminds you of people standing around a fire, of big family meals, of pots that seemed enormous when you were a child and of food that was never really made for one or two people.
It was made to be shared.
And maybe that is what I love most about cooking these old-style curries now.
You are not only making dinner.
You are keeping a little piece of that way of life going.
Because sometimes the fire is doing more than cooking the curry. It is bringing the memories back too.
Other recipes you might enjoy. Click on the image to get the recipe.
A traditional Durban-style culls chicken curry cooked slowly over a wood fire with potatoes, curry leaves, Durban curry powder and fresh dhania. Rich, nostalgic and full of old-school South African Indian flavour.
CULLS CHICKEN:
Culls chicken is firmer and takes significantly longer to cook than ordinary broiler chicken. Cooking times can vary depending on the bird.
WOOD FIRE:
Start with a steady bed of hot coals rather than a roaring fire. Keep extra wood nearby and adjust the pot position or heat as needed throughout cooking.
POTATOES:
I use 4-5 potatoes because we love plenty of potatoes in our curry. Use fewer if you prefer.
WHEN TO ADD THE POTATOES:
Do not add the potatoes too early. Wait until the culls chicken has started to soften or the potatoes may fall apart before the chicken is tender.
SPICE LEVEL:
Use 4-5 tablespoons Durban curry powder depending on the strength of your blend and your preferred heat level. Add more if you prefer a hotter curry.
FRESH CHILLI:
Fresh green chillies can be added with the onions if you want additional heat.
WATER:
Use hot water as needed. The amount will vary according to your fire, pot and the amount of liquid released by the chicken.
ORDINARY CHICKEN:
Standard broiler chicken cooks much faster than culls chicken. If substituting ordinary chicken, reduce the cooking time significantly and add the potatoes earlier.
