Dad's Curry Chicken

Dad’s Chicken Curry

I thought it’d be a good idea to learn this recipe from dad while I’m in Port Klang. Dad’s chicken curry is well received and is quite revered by our relatives. Third auntie actually requested the dish when we were invited to pot luck at her place on the 1^st day of the Lunar New Year. The recipe does not contain sugar, unlike some other curry recipes.

These are the ingredients for 1.5 kg of chicken. For convenience, you need a large deep saucepan to double up as a wok and a pot to avoid the trouble of transferring the curry to a pot for simmering after the stir-frying is done.

The pre-blended curry paste is available at most supermarkets and the amount required is usually stated on the packet.

For example if the packet says ‘for 1 kg of chicken’, then get two packets. Dad usually uses about two. In addition to the curry paste, he adds a tablespoon of curry powder to sprinkle over the chicken pieces while stir-frying for added ‘oomph’.

Ingredients

1.5 kg chicken pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered.
3 tomatoes, quartered

Dry spices
§ Black Pepper x 1 tablespoon
§ Cloves x 6
§ Star Anise x 2
§ Cinnamon (2-3 inch sticks) x 4
§ Cardamon seeds x 4

Herbs
§ Lots of parsley
§ Lemon grass (bulbs clobbered) x 4 sticks
§ Lime leaves (daun limau purut) x 2
§ Kunyit (rendang) leaves x 1 (optional)

Preblended chicken curry paste
Curry powder x 1 tablespoon to dust over chicken pieces when frying
Salt to taste
Cooking Oil

Coconut milk (thin)
Thick coconut milk / coconut cream

Instructions

Heat ½ cup cooking oil in pan, fry the curry paste and dry spices till the ‘aroma rises’.

Add herbs and chicken pieces. Toss a while, sprinkle curry powder onto chicken pieces. Stir-fry till chicken is well coated with spices but not till well done.

Add enough thin coconut milk to submerge chicken pieces.

The volume of curry will shrink in the process of cooking, the amount of salt is best adjusted just before curry is done. Simmer till tender. This takes about half an hour to 45 minutes depending on how chunky the chicken pieces are.

Half way, through, add tomatoes and potatoes as these cook more easily. When about done, add thick coconut milk and salt to taste. Thick coconut milk, if allowed to boil for too long may curdle.

Serve hot with steamed rice.