National Chicken Curry Day highlighted the centuries-long journey of the beloved dish, while Eastern marked the occasion in Kerala with the launch of the ‘Eastern Chicken Song,’ a music-driven cultural tribute celebrating the state’s emotional bond with chicken curry and the brand’s longstanding place in its kitchens and culinary traditions.
January 12 may not rank among the major culinary holidays, but for devotees of big flavour and rich history, National Chicken Curry Day is a celebration worth circling on the calendar. The dish it honours—Chicken Curry—is more than just a comfort classic. It is a recipe that carries centuries of migration, influence, adaptation, and cultural exchange in every simmering pot.
Most culinary historians trace the roots of Chicken Curry to India, with its origins stretching back thousands of years. Long before the first cookbooks of Europe made mention of it, Chicken Curry had already evolved through regional techniques, spice blends, and family traditions across the subcontinent. The version that first stepped into the global spotlight was a stewed preparation built on aromatics—onion, tomato, ginger, garlic—and a palette of spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, and chilli. Balanced heat, layered fragrance, and the slow alchemy of braising made it both economical and irresistible.
Its journey from South Asia to the Western world began during Britain’s colonisation of India. According to popular accounts, a British sea captain stationed in Bengal passed along the recipe while visiting the bustling shipping port of Savannah, Georgia. Europe’s first recorded mention surfaced in 1825, and by the 1850s, Chicken Curry had taken firm root in British kitchens. Domestic cookbooks began to include simplified versions, and Victorian households embraced it as an exotic import softened to suit local palates.
The recipe traveled within the United States as well, though recognition was initially slow. Around the mid-20th century, a Warm Springs, Georgia resident introduced her rendition—renamed Country Captain—to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and General George S. Patton. Served during a dinner in the American South, the dish began to climb into the national spotlight. Its true breakthrough arrived not in America but back in the United Kingdom. In 1953, during the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Chefs Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume unveiled a curried chicken dish for the celebration banquet. Dubbed Coronation Chicken, it became a culinary symbol of modern postwar Britain. From that moment, curry-based dishes moved steadily into the mainstream, setting the stage for the global popularity Chicken Curry enjoys today.
That widespread love was on full display this year. National, 12 January 2026: Eastern, a leading player in spices, masalas, and processed foods under Orkla India, marked the occasion with a cultural celebration rather than a product campaign. The brand launched the ‘Eastern Chicken Song,’ a high-energy musical tribute capturing Kerala’s deep-rooted love for chicken curry—a dish that cuts across homes, communities, and festive occasions in the state. Conceptualised as an anthem rather than an advertisement, the music video brings to life the everyday emotions, nostalgia and joy associated with Kerala’s iconic chicken curry tradition. Powered by Eastern Chicken Masala, the film subtly underscores how the brand has remained an integral part of kitchens—from weekday meals to celebratory feasts—without allowing branding to overshadow storytelling.
Set to a folk-rock soundscape, the film captures Kerala as a lively mosaic of food cultures, communities, and shared moments. Playback singer Sooraj Santhosh voices the anthem, while actor Manikuttan leads the narrative on screen, lending both familiarity and momentum to the campaign. Commenting on the initiative, Girish Nair, Chief Executive Officer of Eastern, said, “Chicken curry is not just a dish in Kerala. It’s woven into the social fabric. With the ‘Chicken Song,’ we wanted to celebrate the everyday joy that chicken brings into our lives. This is our way of thanking generations of consumers who have made Eastern a part of their kitchens and their stories.” Praveen Ramaswamy, Chief Marketing Officer of Eastern, added that the campaign was designed to “celebrate a cultural truth” rather than promote a product, noting that Eastern Chicken Masala has been “quietly an integral part of the journey for decades.” Sareesh Jameskutty, Vice President at FCB Ulka, reflected on the creative intent, calling the initiative “less like a campaign and more like a cultural expression—authentic and unmistakably Malayalee.” By merging music and memory, the brand reinforces its role in elevating chicken curry across generations and in honouring Kerala’s food heritage.
Today, Chicken Curry is among the world’s most widespread poultry preparations. It travels easily across borders and adapts readily to local tastes. It can be found in Chinese kitchens fragrant with Sichuan peppercorn, in Caribbean homes enriched with coconut milk and thyme, in Britain’s pubs and supermarkets, and across America in everything from takeout containers to gourmet tasting menus. In most places outside India, cooks rely on curry powder—a standardised spice blend created during the 18th century to approximate Indian masalas without requiring home grinding or complex sourcing.
Beyond cultural intrigue, Chicken Curry remains popular for practical reasons too. The recipe is flexible, economical, and easily scales to feed families, cafeterias, and catered events alike. And as National Chicken Curry Day illustrates, it continues to inspire brands, chefs, home cooks, and creative industries to celebrate not just a meal, but an enduring cultural touchstone—one that carries history in its spices and joy in every serving.
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