Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Caril de Galinha
A mild Timorese chicken curry built on roasted red capsicum and coconut milk, gently spiced and subtly sweet.
Timorese · easy · serves 4
prep 20 min · cook 45 min
~580 cal · 45g protein · 12g carbs · 39g fat · 3g fiber · 5g sugars · 23g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Caril de galinha is one of Timor-Leste favourite curries, its name carrying the Portuguese echo of the island colonial past. Unlike many Asian curries it is only mildly spicy, built on a smooth paste of roasted red capsicum blended into with gentle warm spices.
Tender chicken in the rich, subtly sweet sauce until the flavours meld. Although it goes well with rice, it is often served with corn, Timor primary staple, reflecting the blend of Portuguese and Malay traditions that shape the country cooking.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
1 1/2 lb chicken thighs, in pieces
1 1/2 cups
1 large red bell pepper
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp paste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
to taste salt
Instructions
1
Roast the red bell pepper until the skin chars, then steam covered 10 minutes, peel, seed, and puree until smooth.
2
Soften the onion in the oil, add the garlic and ginger, then stir in the turmeric, coriander and cumin until fragrant.
3
Add the chicken and brown it lightly in the spices.
4
Stir in the roasted pepper puree and coconut milk with the tamarind and salt, and bring to a gentle simmer.
✎ Chef’s note
Keep the heat gentle once the coconut milk goes in so the sauce stays smooth and does not split.
5
Simmer 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce is rich, then finish with cilantro and serve with rice or corn.
Timorese home cooking.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Dili. The beans in batar daan are mung beans, and the corn is simmered until the whole thing thickens on its own without anything added to it. It comes out beside ikan sabuko, Spanish mackerel marinated in tamarind with basil and capsicum, and budu, a sharp raw sauce of tomato, mint, lime and onion.
🗺️
Timor-Leste. The beans in batar daan are mung beans, cooked down with corn and pumpkin until it thickens into something between a stew and a mash. Its classic partners are ikan sabuko, Spanish mackerel marinated in tamarind, and budu, a raw relish of tomato, mint, lime and onion that does the job a pickle would elsewhere.
🌍
Asia. A grain line runs across the continent. Rice dominates the wet south and east, wheat the drier north and west, and the tools follow it: the wok and the steamer where rice is milled, the tandoor and the griddle where wheat is ground. Tea travels the other way, drunk green, black, salted, buttered or with milk depending how far it got from China.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Timor-Leste
Batar Da'anA humble Timorese stew of corn, mung beans, and pumpkin simmered soft in a light, comforting pot.
Jagung BoseThe Timorese corn staple: dried corn and red beans slow-cooked until creamy in coconut milk, humble everyday nourishment.
Ikan SabukoMackerel marinated in tamarind and lime, then grilled with basil and chili, the fresh coastal favourite of Timor-Leste.
Browse all Timor-Leste recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Oven, Steamer, Blender.
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it a Timor-Leste meal
Kafé TimorDrink
Babilak Ai-luka (Cassava and Coconut Balls)Dessert
Ikan SabukoLunch
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Cuisine
Diet
Gluten-Free Recipes from Around the World
Dairy-Free Recipes from Around the World
Egg-Free Recipes from Around the World
Pork-Free Recipes from Around the World
Gluten-Free Timorese Recipes
Dairy-Free Timorese Recipes
Gluten-Free Dinners from Around the World
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Frequently asked questions
What is Caril de Galinha?
A mild Timorese chicken curry built on roasted red capsicum and coconut milk, gently spiced and subtly sweet.
Where does Caril de Galinha come from?
Caril de Galinha is a Timorese dish from Dili, Timor-Leste.
Can Caril de Galinha be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Caril de Galinha recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Caril de Galinha safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Caril de Galinha take to make?
About 65 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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