Nyonya chicken curry is a richer, drier, thicker version of your standard Malaysian chicken curry, and is immediately recognisable by its distinct Southeast Asian flavour driven by a unique selection of spices and herbs.

Different recipes call for different ingredients and cooking styles. Some choose to rub the chicken with turmeric and let it sit overnight, while others marinate it with lime juice, salt and grated toasted coconut.

Whatever the case, no instant curry mix could rival the fresh and exotic aroma of a homemade spice paste made of turmeric, fennel, cumin, coriander seeds and other spices.

This Nyonya chicken curry recipe is made with bone-in chicken and curry leaves. It can be served with rice or bread, and goes exceptionally well with roti jala or nasi kunyit.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, chopped into pieces (head, neck and feet removed)
• 200g potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 200ml thick coconut milk
• 1 star anise
• handful of curry leaves
• a few cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 tablespoons cooking oil
• 350ml water

For the paste:

• 3 cloves garlic
• 18 shallots
• 12 dried chilli
• 15g turmeric powder
• 15g coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 20g shrimp paste (belacan)
• 1 stalk lemongrass (white part only)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Method

For the paste:

• Soak the chillies in boiling water until softened, then drain and remove the seeds.
• While the chillies are soaking, wrap the shrimp paste in foil and fry over medium-low heat for four minutes each side or until fragrant. Remove and set aside.
• Place coriander, fennel and cumin seeds in the pan and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, for four minutes or until fragrant.
• Transfer the toasted spices to a food processor and process into a coarse powder.
• Add the deseeded chillies, toasted shrimp paste and remaining ingredients, and process into a smooth paste.

For the curry:

• Trim excess skin and fat off the chopped chicken pieces.
• Heat some oil in a wok or saucepan over medium heat. Add the spice paste and whole spices. Cook, stirring, for three minutes or until fragrant.
• Pour in the remaining oil and lightly fry the cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves for two to three minutes. Add in the spice paste and stir-fry until fragrant.
• Add chicken, potatoes, curry leaves and fry well.
• Add water, cover the wok, and braise over low heat until the potatoes soften.
• Add the thick coconut milk, salt and sugar. Continue to simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are fully cooked.
• Remove and serve with white rice, bread, nasi kunyit or roti jala.

Tips

• Use more thick coconut milk if you prefer the curry to be richer and creamier.
• For a thinner curry, increase the amount of water.

This article first appeared in butterkicap.com.

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