In Malaysia, as country known for being the melting pot for various cultures, we have a vast variety of chicken curries each with its own individual take.
These recipes vary in terms of texture – some of which have a thick gravy, others have a light, watery gravy, some which has an added richness thanks to the addition of coconut milk and so on. However, they all share the same basic ingredients, good curry powder, meat, and potatoes.
This delicious recipe comes from my mother who imparted her curry cooking knowledge when I first left for university. This is a relatively straightforward recipe, where you chuck all the ingredients in and let simmer until it is ready to be eaten with a plate of steaming hot rice or roti canai.
*Like all curries, the flavour improves tremendously if made one, or a few days in advance.
Malaysian Chicken Curry
Ingredients
½ stick of cinnamon
Chicken pieces. Quantity can vary from 1-2 chicken breasts to 2-3 chicken thighs
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
2 carrots
1 tomato, chopped
½ onion, sliced
0.5 inch ginger, crushed.
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 stock cube
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon oil
¼ tsp sugar
2 tablespoons meat curry powder
1 tablespoon chilli powder
Coriander leaves for garnish
Method
Ingredients
½ stick of cinnamon
Chicken pieces. Quantity can vary from 1-2 chicken breasts to 2-3 chicken thighs
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
2 carrots
1 tomato, chopped
½ onion, sliced
0.5 inch ginger, crushed.
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 stock cube
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon oil
¼ tsp sugar
2 tablespoons meat curry powder
1 tablespoon chilli powder
Coriander leaves for garnish
Method
- Mix curry and chilli powder with two tablespoons of water to form a paste.
- Heat oil in a pan and add the cinnamon stick, until aromatic. Add the onions and fry until soft. Add the crushed ginger, garlic, fennel seeds and cumin seeds and continue frying for about 3 minutes. Add the curry paste and fry until the oil breaks. If oil is insufficient, add a few additional drops.
- Next add the potatoes, carrots and chicken and coat in the paste and until the chicken is sealed. Pour enough water into the pan so that it just covers the chicken and vegetables. Add the stock cube, tomatoes, milk and seasoning. Add the sugar and reduce heat. Cover and let the curry simmer until the chicken is cooked through and potatoes are soft. Usually about 20 minutes.
- If the curry is not as thick as you like it, smash a couple of the potatoes – the perfect way to add texture to the curry. It is important to let the curry boil over a low heat to ensure the curry powder is cooked through.