Malaysian Chicken Curry

21 Feb 2002   | Chicken · Main · SE Asian

Malaysian restaurants are common in Australia and New Zealand and I got a bit of a taste for Malaysian Chicken curry with Roti. These restaurants are rare in the UK so here is my attempt to recreate the taste. The recipe is for 800 grams of chicken, which is a fairly standard pack in the UK. Adjust the rest of the ingredients according to the quantity of chicken you’ve got. Remember, this is a wet curry and should have lots of gravy.
 

Steven Thomas

Malaysian Chicken Curry

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for Spice paste
  • 2 medium onions peeled and roughly chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2.5 cm chunk of fresh ginger peeled and sliced
  • 4 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons of chilli powder or 2 fresh chilli seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/6 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/6 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/6 teaspoon ground pepper
  • [Optional] 30 grams of raw nuts1 or just peanut butter
  • [Optional] 3 stalks of lemon grass trimmed, with outer leaves removed, and
  • sliced or zest of one lemon
  • [Optional] 2 teaspoons dried shrimp paste
  • Oil or water
Other ingredients
  • 2 or 3 tablespoons Peanut Groundnut Oil
  • 800 grams fresh chicken pieces legs, drumsticks, thighs, whatever
  • 300 mls coconut milk which, annoyingly, is less than an average can
  • 300 mls water or chicken stock
  • [Optional] Mix of whole herbs and spices: star anise cloves, cinnamon
  • stick lemon grass, green or red chilli
  • [Optional]
  • 1/4-1/3 cup Tamarind Juice2 or Lemon Juice about 1 medium lemon
  • Salt
  • 1 large potato peeled and cut into 3-4 cm pieces
  • Handful of fresh coriander chopped

Method
 

  1. Blend spice paste ingredients using a little oil or water to moisten, then set aside
  2. Heat oil in a wok on high then lower to medium heat
  3. Add spice paste to the wok along with optional whole herbs and spices
  4. Stir fry until spice paste is toasted - should be aromatic - do not burn
  5. Add chicken to wok
  6. Stir to coat chicken with curry paste
  7. Add coconut milk, stock, whole herbs and spices, and Tamarind juice to to wok, stir, and season
  8. Bring to boil
  9. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer chicken in coconut milk for 20 min, stirring occasionally
  10. Add potato, simmer uncovered, 15 min until potatoes are cooked and chicken tender
  11. Add water if too thick - it is a wet curry so should have a good quantity of gravy.
  12. Transfer to serving dice
  13. Garnish with fresh coriander.
  14. Serve with Roti or steamed rice

Notes

(1) The most authentic are Candle nuts but I've never seen them for sale in the UK. Substitutes are Macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, Cashews, or blanched Almonds. Candle nuts are toxic unless cooked well.
(2) for 1/3 cup of tamarind juice, soak 1 teaspoon pulp with 1/3 cup of hot water for 5 min, mash, and strain

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