Ingredients

For The Chicken

• 1200 g chicken thighs (about 8 medium pieces)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon cube, crushed

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 1 cup water

• Handful of chopped onion

• 2 cloves garlic, smashed

• Small piece of ginger, sliced

For The Coconut Milk

• 1 large coconut

• 2 cups water

For The Shrimp

• 250 g shrimp (15–17 large, cleaned and deveined)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pepper Mix

• 3 medium bell peppers

• 2 scotch bonnet peppers (see Note 1)

• 1/2 small onion

For The Rice

• Oil

• Minced garlic

• Minced ginger

• Pepper mix

• 3 cups coconut milk

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 4 cups Sella basmati rice

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons chicken seasoning

Direction

1. Cook The Chicken
   Add chicken to a pot, then season with salt, crushed bouillon, thyme, curry powder, onion, garlic, and ginger.
   Mix well, cover, and steam on low heat for 10 minutes.
   Add water, cover again, and cook until tender.
   Remove chicken and set aside. Strain and reserve the stock.

2. Fry The Chicken
   Heat oil in a pan and fry the cooked chicken until golden brown. Set aside.

3. Make Fresh Coconut Milk
   Break open the coconut and remove the flesh.
   Cut into small pieces and blend with water until smooth.
   Strain through a fine mesh cloth to extract the milk.
   (See Notes for coconut milk tips.)

4. Season The Shrimp
   Combine shrimp with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.

5. Blend The Pepper Mix
   Blend bell peppers, scotch bonnet, and onion until slightly coarse.

6. Cook The Shrimp
   Heat oil in a large pan and fry shrimp for a few minutes on each side until cooked.
   Remove and set aside.

7. Build The Base For The Rice
   If needed, add a little more oil to the same pan.
   Add minced garlic and ginger; fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
   Add pepper mix, season with salt and bouillon, and fry for 7–10 minutes until the raw taste disappears.

8. Add Liquids
   Pour in coconut milk and chicken stock. Stir well.

9. Add The Rice
   Rinse Sella basmati rice until water runs clear. Drain completely.
   Add to the pot and stir to combine.
   Add remaining salt and chicken seasoning.

10. Cook The Rice
    Cover and cook on low‑medium heat for 25 minutes or until rice is fully cooked.

11. Finish The Dish
    Fluff the rice gently.
    Add fried shrimp on top.
    Serve with fried chicken and enjoy.

Notes

1. Scotch Bonnet Pepper
If using Nigerian atarodo, use as much as you can handle.
If using the spicier international variety, stick to 1–2 peppers.
Remove seeds and veins to reduce heat.

2. Coconut Milk (Blender Method)
Crack open a mature brown coconut, chop the flesh, and blend with warm or room‑temperature water.
Avoid cold water — it can cause separation.
Strain with cheesecloth.
For extra milk, blend the leftover pulp with another cup of water and strain again.

3. Coconut Milk (Juicer Method)
Feed chopped coconut flesh into a juicer while adding water.
Fresh coconut milk in seconds.

4. Using Canned Coconut Milk
Dilute 1 can (400 ml) with 1/2–1 cup water to make 3 cups.