It’s National Curried Chicken Day! January 12 is a day set aside to honor that most spicy of main courses – chicken curry.
From Asia to the Caribbean, this dish has a huge following among those who like a bit of heat in their food.
Keep reading to learn what curried chicken is, some fun facts about this delicious food, and a list of recipes to try.
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What is curried chicken?
Curried chicken is a stew-like dish made with chunks of chicken with vegetables which has been flavored with a blend of spiced called “curry powder.”
The most commonly used spices in most curry powders are cumin, coriander and turmeric. Curries are often served with papadums or Naan bread.
Curries are very popular in Asia and India but the growing populations of Indians around the world has made the food a hit with most other countries as well.
Fun facts about curry
Brush up on your knowledge of curry with these fun facts.
- The word curry comes from a South-Asian word Kori,which is a sauce with cooked meat or fish.
- Curries are very popular in the UK and have been for a long time. The first curry restaurant opened up in 1810 in London.
- The world’s largest curry has been mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records. It was made in 2015 in Singapore and weighted 33,838.9 pounds.
- The hottest curry is Chicken Naga. The dish contains lots of naga pepper seeds which measure 855,000 on the Scoville Scale. (these seeds are 100 times hotter than jalapeno peppers.)
- There are 10,000 curry houses in Great Britain.
- Food historians believe that people have been eating curries for 4000 years.
- National Curried Chicken Day isn’t the only time chicken is featured on a national day. Check out Super Chicken Wing Day, too.
- In some Southern parts of the USA, the people eat a dish called Country Captain Chicken. This is a stewed chicken dish flavored with curry powder.
- There is a Curried chicken salad in the UK called Coronation Chicken. It was created for Queen Elizabeth II for her Coronation Banquet in 1953.
How to observe National Curried Chicken Day
Eating curried chicken comes to mind as a way to celebrate, but there are a few ways to do this.
- Invite some friends over to share in a traditional chicken curry. It’s a lot more fun to share the taste with friends. Have them each bring their favorite chicken curry to share.
- Not a fan of cooking from scratch? Cheat by using Patak’s Mango Chicken Curry Sauce in a Jar.
- Treat yourself to a chicken curry cookbook so you can learn to make it at home.
- Get into the spirit with a Curry Apron.
- Use the hashtag #NationalCurriedChickenDay to spread the word about the day on social media. Here is a tweet to get you started:
January 12 is #NationalCurriedChickenDay. Find out more about this National Day at Always The Holidays. Click To Tweet
What is a national day?
National days of the year are a fun way to celebrate odd and unusual foods, animals and items that you come into contact with. Be sure to read out my national day’s guidefor more fun days to celebrate.
There are close to 2000 national days in the year and over 150 of them are celebrated in January. Be sure to check out this post to discover more about the national days in January, as well as the January word search printable of national days.
Also have a look at these other foodie national days:
- NationalRotisserie Chicken Day
- Bittersweet Chocolate day
- National Spaghetti Day
- National Homemade Soup Day
Pin this post for National Curried Chicken Day for later
Would you like a reminder of this post for National Curried Chicken Day? Just pin this image to one of your international foods boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.
You can also watch our YouTube video to learn about more food days in January.
Here are some chicken curry recipes – one of these is just perfect for National Curried Chicken Day.
FAQs
Chicken curry remains one of the most prominent curry dishes, and the most sought after. Originating in India, this dish has since taken different aliases across the Western world: in the U.S. it is popularly known as the 'country captain chicken,' while in the U.K. it goes by the name 'coronation chicken.
Who invented chicken curry? ›
The first British recipe for chicken curry was printed in The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse in 1747, and the recipes continued to evolve and add spices moving forward.
What is the history of Jamaican curry chicken? ›
Curry is intrinsic part of Jamaican history. Indian servants who were brought to the then English Colony to work on sugar plantations after the abolition of slavery, brought the spice to Jamaica in the C17th. Curry is now one of the most popular dishes in Jamaica, usually made with goat, prawns, chicken, crab or pork.
Is it curry chicken or curried chicken? ›
Yet, the most solid answer would ultimately depend on whether you consider curry more of a noun (as in the dish itself, where chicken curry works) or an adjective (as in the spice preparation, where curry chicken works, too). “The proper (English) way is 'curried chicken,'” says Richards-Greaves.
What are some fun facts about curry? ›
What you didn't know about curry: Top 10 facts
- Kurma is the most misunderstood of all curries. ...
- Vindaloo isn't actually the hottest of curries – it's Phal, which is rarely served in Britain because of its heat!
- Biryani was traditionally a ready-to-eat comfort food for soldiers during wartime.
It is the first known anglicised form of kaṟi. (The recipe uses the long s, "ſ"). Curry is an anglicised form of the Tamil கறி kaṟi meaning 'sauce' or 'relish for rice' that uses the leaves of the curry tree (Murraya koenigii).
Why is curry chicken pink? ›
Sometimes cooked poultry can show a pinkish colour in their meat and juices. This happens due to heamoglobin in the muscles reacts with air during cooking. The other reason is that the bones of youngers chicks are permeable, and the bone marrow to leak in to the surrounding and produce a pink colour.
What country made chicken curry? ›
Chicken curry or curry/curried chicken is a South Asian dish originating from India. It is common in the Indian subcontinent, Caribbean, Arabian Peninsula, Southeast Asia, Great Britain, and Japan.
What country is curry from? ›
curry, (from Tamil kari: “sauce”), in Western usage, a dish composed with a sauce or gravy seasoned with a mixture of ground spices that is thought to have originated in India and has since spread to many regions of the world.
Who brings curry to Jamaica? ›
According to Sen's book, 1.5 million Indians migrated to other parts of the British Empire between 1834 and 1917, including 114,000 to Trinidad and Tobago and 36,000 to Jamaica. The mass migration resulted in an influx of new cooking techniques, ingredients and dishes, including curry.
In the 17 century curry and other spices were brought to Jamaica by Eastern Indians. Curry powder is made from ground turmeric, coriander seeds, cayenne, ground ginger, and many other spices. This food is important because in Jamaica we like very bold flavors in our food.
What is the meaning of curried chicken? ›
Chicken Curry: In this phrasing, "chicken" is the primary noun, and "curry" is the adjective describing the type of dish. It suggests that the dish primarily consists of chicken cooked in a curry sauce or with curry spices.
Who says curry chicken? ›
“I have no idea why Trinidadians say it this way,” Richards-Greave says referring to the “chicken curry” leaning (Richards-Greave, who is Guyanese, says the Guyanese prefer to say “curry chicken”).
How spicy is curry? ›
It's heavily spiced and is never lacking in taste. Curry can be mild or it can pack some serious heat, depending on your personal preference and tolerance for spicy food. Curry is one of the most famous meals in Indian cuisine and never disappoints, especially if you have time and make some homemade.
Where was chicken curry invented? ›
India is the home of curry, and many Indian dishes are curry-based, prepared by adding different types of vegetables, lentils, or meats. The content of the curry and style of preparation vary by region. Most curries are water-based, with occasional use of dairy and coconut milk.
When was chicken curry first made? ›
According to Colleen Taylor's book Feasts and Fasts : A History of Food in India “Analysis of the residue in cooking pots and human and bovine teeth at Farmana, 60 km from New Delhi, confirms that between 2500 and 2000 BCE cooks in the Indus Valley were using turmeric, ginger and garlic as flavourings – the ingredients ...
What makes curry special? ›
In addition to its unique flavor profile, curry also stands out because of its vibrant colors. The use of yellow turmeric gives curry dishes a distinct yellow hue, while red chilies give them a deep red coloration. These colors create an eye-catching presentation that can make any dish look more appetizing.
How long does curried chicken last? ›
You can keep leftover chicken curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To gently reheat the leftovers, use a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Alternatively, you can also use the microwave to reheat the dish as well.
