Kari ayam (Malaysian curry chicken)
Faye, my host in Singapore, is one quarter Nyonya (Malaysian Chinese) and loves cooking. Kari ayam is a curry chicken recipe she enjoys cooking for dinner parties. It’s truly easy! As Faye cooks this recipe, she gives little shouts of delight. The dish was coming out perfectly and she was quite pleased with herself. It’s always a good sign and heartwarming when someone loves what they are cooking. This recipe takes only 45 minutes to prep and cook.
Ingredients
- 400 grams instant curry paste (Dancing Chef or A1 Mountain Globe Brand, see images below)
- 2 kilos chicken (drumsticks, wings, whole chicken parted)
- 3 tablespoons soy cooking oil
- 5 bird’s eye chillies
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
- 200 ml coconut milk
Method
- Heat oil in a deep iron pot. Add curry paste, chillies, cinnamon, and star anise; fry until fragrant. Toss in the red onion and fry until it sweats a little. Soak potatoes in water until ready to use. This will help to remove excess starch help the potatoes retain their color.
- Add the chicken and toss to coat all sides with the fragrant spices. Simmer for 20 minutes on medium flame then add the potatoes. Toss occasionally for 10 minutes, then add enough water to reach one inch below the surface or top of the chicken. You can add more or less water depending on how thick you want the sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally but careful to not break the chicken and potatoes as they tender.
- Add coconut milk and stir gently to blend. Turn off heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with fragrant Thai Jasmine rice.
[...] another dish great with rice. Faye served this with Kari Ayam and Thai Jasmine [...]
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