Home Style Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 1.5 kgchicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces and parboiled
• 12 stalkscurry leaves
• 2star anise
• 5 tablespoonsoil
• 400 mlcoconut milk (santan)
• to tastesalt and pepper
• 12dried chillies, soaked in hot water
• 5red chillies
• 5 tablespoonsmeat curry powder and red chilli powder in a 4:1 ratio, mixed with water to make a paste
• 10shallots, chopped
• 10 clovesgarlic, chopped
• 1 inchginger, chopped
• 1 inchgalangal, chopped
• 1 inchturmeric, chopped
• 10candlenuts, chopped
• 2lemongrass stalks, chopped (upper part only)
• 1 pieceshrimp paste, toasted

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry the onion paste

   Heat 5 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Add the ground onion paste and fry until fragrant.

2. 2

   Cook the curry paste

   Add the ground curry paste and fry until the oil separates from the mixture.

3. 3

   Add the chicken

   Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat them in the curry paste. Fry for about 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Add whole spices

   Stir in the curry leaves and star anise.

5. 5

   Simmer the curry

   Pour in the coconut milk, bring the curry to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the potatoes

   Add the parboiled potatoes and simmer for a further 5–10 minutes.

7. 7

   Season to taste

   Add salt to taste.

8. 8

   Cover the potatoes

   Put the potatoes in a pan and cover them with room-temperature water. Bring the water to a gentle boil and cook for 10–15 minutes.

9. 9

   Cool the potatoes

   Take the potatoes off the heat and immerse them in cool water. Leave them to cool.

What is Malaysian chicken curry?

Malaysian chicken curry has many home-cooked variations, often built around a spice paste and coconut milk. This version is described as a mamak-style curry, with aromatics, curry leaves and whole spices creating a richly flavoured sauce.

The chicken simmers in the sauce before parboiled potatoes go in near the end. That timing helps the potatoes finish cooking without spending the whole simmer in the curry.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 850 calories, 48g protein, 39g carbs, 57g fat.

Chicken provides most of the protein, while the potatoes supply much of the carbohydrate. Coconut milk and oil contribute much of the fat, so serve with vegetables or a simple salad to round out the plate.

The aromatic base

Ground paste: the method starts with an onion paste, then adds the ground curry paste. Fry each until fragrant; the curry paste is ready for the chicken when oil begins to separate.

Spice blend: the curry powder and red chilli powder are mixed with water into a paste. Keeping the stated 4:1 ratio gives the blend its intended balance.

Building the curry flavour

Whole spices: curry leaves and star anise go in after the chicken has been coated in the paste. They simmer with the coconut milk to infuse the sauce.

Aromatics: dried and fresh chillies, shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, candlenuts and toasted shrimp paste are listed for the curry pastes. The method does not specify a separate grinding step for these ingredients.

Getting the texture right

Chicken: fry the pieces with the paste for about 5 minutes, stirring so they are well coated. Then simmer them in the coconut milk for 30 minutes.

Sauce: bring the coconut milk to a boil, then simmer rather than keeping it at a hard boil. The recipe describes the finished curry as thick and creamy.

Parboiling the potatoes

Gentle boil: cover the potato pieces with room-temperature water and bring it up to a light boil. Cook for 10–15 minutes, then cool them in water as directed.

Final simmer: add the parboiled potatoes after the chicken has simmered for 30 minutes. Give them another 5–10 minutes in the curry.

Serving the curry

This is a substantial curry with chicken, potatoes and a coconut-based sauce. Serve it with rice or flatbread if you would like an accompaniment, though neither is included in the recipe ingredients.

Season with salt to taste at the end, then serve once the potatoes have had their final simmer.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a wok or a deep pan large enough to hold the chicken and sauce.
• Stir the curry paste as it fries so it cooks evenly.
• Keep the coconut milk at a simmer after bringing it to the boil.
• Cut the potatoes into similarly sized pieces so they cook at a similar rate.
• Taste the curry after simmering and add salt gradually.

Variations

• Adjust the heat: use fewer dried or red chillies for a milder curry.
• Use chicken legs: keep the recipe's suggested whole legs, cut into manageable pieces.
• Add vegetables: serve with extra vegetables on the side.
• Choose coconut milk: use the stated 400 ml of coconut milk or santan.
• Serve with rice: add cooked rice at the table to make the meal more filling.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Rushing the paste: fry it until fragrant, and cook the curry paste until the oil separates.
• Boiling hard: after the coconut milk comes to a boil, lower the heat for the 30-minute simmer.
• Adding potatoes too early: wait until the chicken has simmered for 30 minutes, then cook them in the curry for 5–10 minutes.
• Skipping the potato cooling step: immerse the parboiled potatoes in cool water as the method specifies.
• Under-seasoning: taste the curry and add salt at the end.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover curry in a covered container and use within 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan until piping hot throughout, stirring occasionally; add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.

Frequently asked questions