Chicken Curry with Potatoes

 

Chicken Curry with Potatoes Recipe

  Ingredients:

• 1 pack instant curry paste (8 oz or 250 grams)
• 8 oz peeled potatoes
• 4 chicken leg quarters (4 drumsticks and 4 thighs or 2 lbs chicken)
• 3 shallots (peeled and sliced thinly)
• 2 lemongrass (use the white parts only, pounded)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups water/500 ml (use less water if you want thicker curry or more if you want more curry sauce)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (100 ml)
• Some curry leaves (optional)

Method:

1. Cut the chicken into pieces. Leave the chicken bone-in. If you prefer boneless chicken meat, then debone the chicken.
2. Heat up a deep pot and add the oil. Saute the sliced shallots until aromatic or light brown in color. Add the curry paste into the pot and stir until aromatic. Add the chicken meat and lemongrass. Stir for 1 minute before adding the water.
3. Cover the pot and lower the heat to medium. Bring the curry chicken to boil and then lower the heat, add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes or so or until the chicken become tender. Add the coconut milk and bring it to boil. Serve hot.
4. Alternatively, you can leave the chicken overnight before adding the coconut milk the next day. This cooking method ensures that the chicken meat is really tender and aromatic as the flavor develops overnight. Serve the chicken curry the next day if you use this method.

Cook’s Note:

1. Malaysian curries taste different compared to Thai curries. First of all, we don’t use fish sauce and sugar in Malaysian curries. Also, Malaysian curries are not as rich and milky as we use much less coconut milk, so the tastes of the various spices really shine through. Hence, Malaysian curries are more spice-laden and aromatic in my opinion. According to my Indian friends, Malaysian curry is closest in taste to Indian curry.

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Posted in: Malaysian

Seafood Curry Recipe (Malaysian Indian-Style)

 

Malaysian Indian-Style Seafood Curry

  Ingredients:

• 1 pack seafood curry paste
• 6 large prawns
• 6 squids
• 6 scallops
• 1/2 lb. seabass fillet (cut into small cubes/pieces)
• 1 tomato (cut into wedges)
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp (soaked in 4 tablespoons water and extract the juice)
• 2 shallots (peeled and sliced)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)

Method:

Heat up a pot and saute the shallots until aromatic. Add the curry paste into the pot and do a few quick stirs. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring it to boil. Then add the seafood, cover the pot until cooked. Add the coconut milk and salt to taste. Serve hot.

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Posted in: Malaysian

GRILLED COCONUT CHICKEN WITH LEMON BASIL RECIPE

 

GRILLED COCONUT CHICKEN WITH LEMON BASIL RECIPE (Ayam Panggang Sulawesi)
Inspired by James Oseland’s “CRADLE OF FLAVOR”
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FLAVORING PASTE:

• 8 shallots, coarsely chopped
  5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
  3 to 4 red Thai chilies (use according to your taste), coarsely chopped
  4 tablespoon peanut oil
  2 stalks of lemongrass cut into 2 inch long pieces
  8 whole kaffir lime leaves
  6 candlenuts (I found them in my Asian grocers) or unsalted macadamia nuts
  1 piece of fresh turmeric root, peeled & ground, 2 tsp.
  3 ½ teaspoons fresh grated ginger
  1 ½ cups of unsweetened coconut milk
  1/2 cup loosely packed fresh lemon basil (Thai basil can be used as an alternate)
  ¾ teaspoon salt
  3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  Cut up chicken

Method:

1. To make the flavoring paste, place the shallots, garlic, red chilies, green chilies, candlenuts, turmeric, and ginger in a small food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth paste.
2. Heat the 4 tbsp of oil in a large skillet (non-stick) over medium-low heat. When you add the paste in the oil, it should sizzle. Sauté constant until the shallots & garlic no longer smell raw & the paste begins to separate from the oil, Sauté for about 5 minutes. Now add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, & basil, then Sauté some more for 3 minutes until the lemony aroma arises.
3. Add the coconut milk and salt and stir well to combine with the flavoring paste. Raise the heat slightly and let the coconut milk come to a steady, gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Taste the broth. It should be spicy and rich.
4. While the broth continues to simmer, rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat it dry. Poke the chicken flesh with a fork.
5. Add the chicken to the coconut milk broth and cook in a steady simmer. Stirring every 5 minutes to prevent from burning and until the chicken is 3/4^th cooked for about 30 – 40 minutes. Chicken should be tender and all the way cooked but not mushy or falling off the bones. You can transfer the chicken pieces to  another dish. And for the Coconut broth, it should have a  thick consistency, so let it cook and thicken some more.
6. I grilled the chicken on my outdoor gas grill at medium-high heat. I grilled for 5 minutes on both sides of the chicken, until the attractive grill marks form!
7. Menu suggestions: Lemongrass coconut rice & Javanese Carrots & Cucumbers Salad!

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Posted in: Malaysian

Malaysian Banana Pancakes with Lemon Coconut Curd

Malaysian Banana Pancakes with Lemon Coconut Curd
Makes approximately 7 pancakes 

Ingredients:

• For the lemon & coconut curd:
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately the juice of 1 lemon)
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (approximately the zest of 1 lemon)
• 1/3 cup (70g) sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, cubed
• 4 tbsp coconut milk

For the pancakes:

• 1 egg
• 30g (approx 1/8 cup) sugar
• 60g (approx 1/2 cup) self-raising flour
• a pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (can be replaced with regular milk if unavailable)
• 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
• Butter, for frying
• Optional: vanilla ice cream to serve

Method:

1. Prepare the lemon and coconut curd first; place lemon juice, zest and sugar in a medium saucepan. Place on medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
2. Whisk egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl until frothy and then gradually add the hot lemon mixture, whisking continuously to combine. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
3. Return to the heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
4. Remove from the heat and add the butter cubes, one at a time, whisking until fully combined. Finally, add the coconut milk, whisk to combine and set aside to cool.
5. For the pancakes, whisk eggs and sugar until light and frothy in a large mixing bowl.
6. Sift flour and salt and fold into beaten eggs, along with the coconut milk. Add in mashed banana and mix until combined well.
7. Heat a small frying pan with a small pat of butter. Pour in two tablespoons of batter at a time, turning the pan so that the batter forms a thin layer (or you can spread it out with the back of a spoon as the mixture is quite thick). Cook until lightly browned on both sides. You can use a paper towel to dab off any extra grease on the pancakes. Stack pancakes on a plate to keep them warm while you are cooking the rest of the batter.
8. Serve pancakes warm with the lemon and coconut curd and (optionally) a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Pancakes can also be served with slices of fresh banana or lemon.

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Posted in: Malaysian

Sambal Udang (Prawn Sambal)

There are many variations of sambal udang (prawn sambal), but the basic ingredients are more or less the same. This version is our family’s sambal udang recipe, passed down to us from my late mother. She would always add some thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves to perfume the dish with its aroma. Every bite is bursting with the briny flavor of the prawn, follows by the complex flavor of the fiery sambal, and ends with a citrusy note of the kaffir lime leaves.

Sambal Udang Recipe (Prawn Sambal)  

 

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons oil
600g (1.5 lbs) prawn/shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 cups water
2 tablespoons tamarind pulp, mixed with 1/2 cup water and strained
3 kaffir lime leaves, sliced thinly
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 teaspoons sugar or to taste

Spice Paste
10 dry red chilies, deseeded
10 shallots, peeled
30g (1 oz) belacan


Method:

1. Pound the spice paste using a mortar and pestle or grind with a food processor. Set aside.
2. Heat up the cooking oil in a wok. Add the spice paste and stir-fry until aromatic.
3. Add the prawn and continue to stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add in the water, tamarind juice and bring it to a quick boil. Add in the kaffir lime leaves, salt, and sugar. Dish out and serve immediately.

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Posted in: Malaysian

Chicken and Prawn Fried Rice

Chicken and Prawn Fried Rice - Very delicious chicken and prawn fried rice. Chicken and prawn are marinated in sauces, cooked with garlic and then mixed with rice, vegetables and scrambled eggs. Serve it as a solo dish or with a curry of your choice.

INGREDIENTS

• Rice(boiled) 4 cup
• Oil for frying
• Garlic 3 cloves
• Crushed red chili 1/2 tsp
• Prawn crackers 1 packet
• Prawn 400 gram
• For Marination:
• Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp
• Oyster sauce 1 tbsp
• Soya sauce 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Crushed black pepper 1/2 tsp
• Corn flour 1 tsp
• Chicken breast 1/2
• Onion chopped 1
• Capsicum chopped (3 colors) 1
• Spring onion 2
• Eggs 4
• Ketchup 1/4 cup
• Chicken stock 2 cup
• Peas (boiled) 1/2 cup

COOKING DIRECTIONS

1. Marinate chicken and shrimps separately in Worcestershire sauce, soya sauce, black pepper, corn flour and pinch of salt.
2. In a pan saute some garlic and make scrambled eggs.
3. In another pan saute’ garlic and fry chicken and then shrimps.
4. Now add chopped onion and capsicum, peas, salt, black pepper, oyster sauce and cook for a while.
5. Add boiled rice and egg to the vegetables, mix well.
6. Dish out rice and serve hot.

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Posted in: Malaysian

Sausage Vegetable Noodles

INGREDIENTS:

• Sausages 6
• Tomato paste 1 cup
• Garlic 4
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper 1 tsp
• Chicken powder 1 tsp
• Sugar 1 tbsp
• Vinegar 1 tsp
• Oyster sauce 1 tbsp
• Chilli sauce 1 tbsp
• Baby corn 4
• Mushroom 6
• Spring onion 2
• Green chilli 4
• Whole red chilli 4
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• Chinese salt 1 tbsp
• Noodles 1 pkt
• Sesame seed oil 2 tbsp

COOKING DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil and saute onion and garlic.
2. Put spring onion, bell pepper, baby corn, mushroom, green chillii, black pepper, chicken powder, chilli, oyster sauce and vinegar mix well.
3. Add sausages and tomato paste cook for 2 minutes and keep aside.
4. In a large vessel boil noodles till 4 minutes then add 2 tbsp oil cook 4 minutes more then strain.
5. Rinse thoroughly from tap water.
6. In a wok heat oil put green chilli, black pepper, red chilli, chinese salt and boil noodles fry it and serve with sausages sauce.
7. If desire you can serve sauce and nooodles separately.

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Posted in: Malaysian