Recipe | Chicken
Recipe: Malaysian Chicken Curry

Malaysian restaurants are common in Australia and New Zealand and I got a bit of a taste for Malaysian Chicken curry with Roti Chanai. These restaurants are rare in the UK so here is my attempt to recreate the taste. The recipe is for 800 grams of chicken, which is a fairly standard pack in the UK. Adjust the rest of the ingredients according to the quantity of chicken you've got. Remember, this is a wet curry and should have lots of gravy.

2 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled 
2.5 cm chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 
4 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons of chilli powder or 2 fresh chilli, seeded and chopped 
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/6 teaspoon ground cloves 
1/6 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/6 teaspoon ground pepper
[Optional] 30 grams of raw nuts * or just peanut butter
[Optional] 3 stalks of lemon grass, trimmed, with outer leaves removed, and sliced, or zest of one lemon
[Optional] 2 teaspoons dried shrimp paste
Oil or water

  • Blend spice paste ingredients using a little oil or water to moisten, then set aside

2 or 3 tablespoons Peanut (Groundnut) Oil

  • Heat oil in a wok on high then lower to medium heat
  • Add spice paste to the wok along with optional whole herbs and spices
  • Stir fry until spice paste is toasted - should be aromatic - do not burn

800 grams fresh chicken pieces (legs, drumsticks, thighs, whatever)

  • Add chicken to wok
  • Stir to coat chicken with curry paste

300 mls coconut milk (which, annoyingly, is less than an average can)
300 mls water or chicken stock
[Optional] Mix of whole herbs and spices: star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, lemon grass, green or red chilli
[Optional] 1/4-1/3 cup Lemon Juice (about 1 medium lemon) or Tamarind Juice **
Salt

  • Add coconut milk to to wok, stir, and season
  • Bring to boil
  • Reduce heat, cover, and simmer chicken in coconut milk for 20 min, stirring occasionally 

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 3-4 cm pieces

  • Add potatoes, simmer uncovered, 15 min until potatoes are cooked and chicken tender
  • Add water if too thick - it is a wet curry so should have a good quantity of gravy.
  • Transfer to serving dice

Handful of fresh coriander, chopped 

  • Garnish with fresh coriander.
  • Serve with Roti Chanai or steamed rice

* The most authentic are Candle nuts but I've never seen them for sale in the UK. Substitutes are Macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, Cashews, or blanched Almonds.  Candle nuts are toxic unless cooked well.

** for 1/3 cup of tamarind juice, soak 1 teaspoon pulp with 1/3 cup of hot water for 5 min, mash, and strain