Ahhh, curry – that spicy dish with origins from India that has spread so far across the globe, it has become a truly global dish. From London and Thailand to Japan and even Trinidad and Tobago, curry is as familiar as rice or bread, albeit cooked in different ways.
Here in Malaysia, a myriad different curries exist. Malaysians will probably be hard-pressed to decide which variety they like best: Indian? Malay? Devil? Wet? Dry? Spicy? Not too spicy? They’re all good and uniquely flavoured – classic dishes in their own right.
Here’s the Butterkicap team’s take on a classic chicken curry.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cut into 12 pieces
1/2 cup low-fat natural yoghurt
6 small red onions
4 garlic cloves
2.5cm ginger
2 green chillies
2 tomatoes, quartered
3 potatoes, halved
3 stalks curry leaves
2 star anise
6 cardamom
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
3 tbsp meat or chicken curry powder
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp cooking oil
Method
In a bowl, lightly beat the yoghurt, then marinate the chicken in it.
Using a pestle and mortar, pound the onion, garlic and ginger to medium coarseness.
Mix the curry powder and green chillies with water and stir to make a paste.
In a large pot, heat the oil. Sauté the curry leaves, star anise, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon until fragrant, then add the onion, garlic and ginger mixture.
Continue frying until fragrant and the mixture starts crackling and caramelising at the edges.
Add the chillies and curry powder paste. Fry on medium heat until the oil has separated and risen to the top, and the chillies have blistered.
Add the tomatoes and cook until they disintegrate.
Next, add the chicken, scraping down the bowl to get all the yogurt into the pot. Stir to coat the chicken thoroughly.
Cover and turn the heat to low. Cook until the chicken juices come out and the liquid becomes watery.
Add the potatoes and continue cooking, keeping the pot covered. When the potatoes are half cooked, remove the lid and let it simmer until the potatoes cook fully and the gravy thickens.
Add salt to taste and stir.
Simmer until the chicken has cooked through, with an internal temperature of 66°C to 73°C.
Finally, dish out and serve with rice, bread, roti canai, noodles, or anything you like.
Tips
If you want a richer curry, skip the yoghurt and add the same amount of coconut milk instead. You do not need to marinate the chicken in coconut milk; add it after the potatoes have cooked and the gravy has thickened.
This recipe isn’t particularly spicy, so it’s suitable for young eaters. Enjoy!
