Overview
These wings are a street-food staple on the islands of Comoros and Mayotte and come together with basic pantry ingredients you most likely have on hand. They’re mostly hands-off and need just a little time for the sauce to thicken and the flavors to develop. Once done, the final dish is saucy and smoky. They’re great as a starter or a main course.
The wings will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil or another neutral oil, or more if needed
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton, mild or hot)
2 pounds chicken wings
One (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 scallion, sliced diagonally, to garnish
Cooked basmati rice, for serving (optional)
Steps
Step 1
In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, salt and pepper until combined.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and paprika and cook, stirring, until the onion has softened and turns reddish in color, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add the chicken wings and the salt-spice mixture, stir to combine, and cook the wings, flipping them midway, until browned on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes. If the pan seems dry, add more oil, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Step 3
Add the tomatoes, water, tomato paste and sugar and stir to thoroughly combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced to coat the wings, about 45 minutes.
Garnish with the scallions and serve as is or with rice.
Adapted from: “The Island Kitchen: Recipes from Mauritius and the Indian Ocean” by Selina Periampillai (Bloomsbury, 2019).
Tested by Olga Massov; email questions to voraciously@washpost.com.
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The nutritional analysis is based on 6 servings.
Nutrition
Calories: 305; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 86 mg; Sodium: 340 mg; Carbohydrates: 8 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 4 g; Protein: 34 g.
