Savory kefir recipes
Kefir Curry Chicken Marinade
Mild curry spreads its warm spices across the chicken, while ginger and garlic keep the aroma fresh. Kefir holds the mixture on the surface better than a thin liquid marinade. Give boneless chicken two to eight refrigerated hours in this kefir marinade. The mixture coats the meat evenly and carries the herbs or curry across the surface; leaving it overnight is unnecessary.
Make it
Method
- Whisk the kefir with the listed seasonings in a clean bowl.
- Put the chicken in a lidded container, add the marinade, and turn each piece until every surface is coated.
- Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours, turning the chicken once if the pieces are not fully covered.
- Lift out the food, let the excess drip away, and cook it thoroughly with your chosen method. Discard all marinade that touched the raw food.
Why these flavors work
Kefir clings to the chicken better than a thin lemon-and-oil marinade, so the garlic and spices stay evenly distributed. The useful change is at the surface; the marinade does not travel to the center of a thick piece.
Store it
Keep the food covered in the refrigerator while it marinates. Discard every drop that touched raw meat or fish.
A substitution that works
An unsweetened plain soy kefir can coat the food in a similar way, but it brings a different flavor. Do not use sweetened plant kefir.
If the texture is wrong
A chalky or mushy surface means the food stayed in the acidic marinade too long. Shorten the next marinating time.