Malaysian Kapitan Curry Chicken

• μερίδες: 6

Υλικά

Chicken Marinade:

4 g turmeric powder (~2 tsp)

18 - 24 g salt (3–4 tsp, adjust to taste)

1000 g bone-in chicken pieces (~1 kg, or enough for 4–6 people depending on portion size)

Spice Paste:

40 g dried red chillies, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes

30 g large fresh red chillies

15 g shrimp paste (belacan)

15 g candlenuts

30 g lemongrass, tender white part only, roughly chopped

25 g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

35 g fresh galangal, peeled and chopped

150 g Thai shallots, peeled

25 g garlic cloves

10 g fresh turmeric

5 g tamarind pulp (or tamarind concentrate, though not as good)

Chicken Curry:

Vegetable oil, for cooking

400 ml thick coconut milk

6 kaffir lime leaves, torn

Up to 250 ml water

5 g tamarind pulp (or tamarind concentrate, though not as good)

Seasoning:

Palm sugar (~1 tsp or more as needed)

Lime juice

Salt

Garnish:

Kaffir lime leaves, julienned lengthways (no stem)

Red chilli, cut lengthways, de-seeded, julienned lengthways

Crispy fried shallots

Coriander, leaves and stems picked

Οδηγίες

Chicken Marinade:

Mix the turmeric and salt together in a bowl. Massage the turmeric salt thoroughly into the chicken, even pushing it under the skin where possible. Ensure all of the chicken pieces are evenly coated with the mix. Marinate for at least 30 mins, or for best results, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Spice Paste:

Video: See this for how to blend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edvJusLkitE

Using scissors, cut the tail off the chillies and then cut them lengthways to deseed them. Remove all the seeds and then cut or chop them up into smaller pieces for easier blending. Pour boiling water over the dried chillies, and let them rehydrate for about 10-15 minutes or so then set aside for the paste.

Bring a small non-stick frypan to a medium heat and crumble the shrimp paste into it and dry roast. The shrimp paste will dry further so it can be broken up with a fork and crumble even further. Cook for 3-5 minutes until toasted. Do not burn.

Crush the candle nuts with the back of a chopper blade. Top and tail the lemongrass by trimming the green stem and coarse root ends off, then finely slice the remaining soft white part only. Mix the tamarind pulp with a small amount of water, say 40 g or mls. Massage to make soft and extract the coarse pulp and remove the seeds.

In a food processor, blend the soaked dried chilies and all the other spice paste ingredients. Scrape down the sides to make the spice paste is evenly blended. You will need to do this several times and add water a little at a time as you do until the spice paste blends smoothly. As you add water you will see the paste ingredients pull into the bowl more evenly, and it will splatter up the sides less, making a smoother paste. This paste is the soul of the dish and a fine grind ensures silky results without grittiness. It does not need to be perfectly smooth, a few small pieces throughut the paste is fine but keep at it until it is as smooth as possible.

Fry Spice Paste:

Add a generous amount of vegetable oil to a large pan and bring to a medium heat. Add the blended spice paste and cook, stirring fairly continuously for the first few mins, and then every minute ot so after, until the paste and its oil begin to split. If the paste sticks, lower the heat slightly and add a splash of water to loosen.

This step is crucial for the curry's flavour, so cook until the paste is very fragrant and the oil separates from the paste and splits. Splitting occurs when the paste no longer soaks up the oil in the pan and instead releases it, so the bottom of the pan or the top of the paste starts to become oily. It's quite a marked shift so it should be easy to distinguish. This splitting step is known as "pecah minyak" in Malaysia and is what distinguishes Malaysian curries from Thai, where the paste does not go through this stage. It is crucial for depth and the paste will also darken slightly during this process.

It will take about 15-20 minutes for splitting to occur, but depending on how much you are making can take longer, up to an hour. Adjust the cooking time as needed. Once complete, set aside.

Curry:

Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil (about 60–80 ml or enough to coat the base generously) in a large heavy-based pot, wok, or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add the marinated chicken pieces and then the spice paste and stir the chicken through, coating them completely with the spice paste for 3–5 mins and letting the chicken take on some colour without fully browning.

Pour in the thick coconut milk, stirring to combine, then add up to 250 ml water (start with less as the chicken will release a lot of its own water so if the curry looks too dry, take into account that as the chicken begins to cook it will add its own juices to the curry). Tear in the 6 kaffir lime leaves and add the second measure of 5 g tamarind pulp. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 35–50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender, the meat pulls easily from the bone, and the sauce has thickened to a glossy, coating consistency.

After about 20 minutes, check the curry and test. We are aiming for a relatively thick, rich consistency. If it's too thin, simmer uncovered until it thickens. If it's too thick, adjust with a small amount of more water. If the sauce reduces too quickly, add a splash more water or if it's too thin, uncover and simmer longer to concentrate.

Seasoning:

Season by adding palm sugar, lime juice, salt or even more tamarind. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, adding more of the seasoning ingredients to achieve a desired balance of a rich savoury curry with slight sour notes and background fresh lime and sweet flavours.

When finished, remove from the heat and let rest for 5 to 10 mins to allow the flavours to settle and the sauce to cling beautifully to the chicken.

Garnish:

Fry the julienne kaffir lime leaves and chilli in a little oil until crisp. Put in a bowl lined with paper towel to dry and cool. Use to garnish the curry along with fresh coriander.

Sides:

Fried peanuts

Pickled cucumber

Sambal

Boiled egg

Σημειώσεις

I adore Malaysian curries and kapitan chicken, also known as ayam kapitan, kari kapitan is one of my favourites and is classic Nyonya, amongst my absolute favourites cuisines. Nyonya refers to a cuisine born from the fusion of Chinese immigrants with local Malay communities in the Malaccan straits settlements, places like Malacca, Penang, and Singapore, and starting as far back as the 15th century. It's a living heritage that's close to home for many in Southeast Asia. It's sometimes spelled nonya, and means "lady" or "madam." Over time, it became a prestigious title for women within the culture who created elegance and refined taste from their mastery and skill in the kitchen with the cuisine blending Malay, Chinese, and sometimes Portuguese influences into something uniquely Southeast Asian.

In kapitan chicken, it creates a rich, aromatic chicken curry that's thicker than most Malaysian chicken curries, with a bold spice paste that's fried until fragrant, then simmered in coconut milk with tamarind’s piquant tang, and a medley of fresh aromatics like lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and belacan (shrimp paste) for its deep, umami kick. The result is a glossy, intensely flavoured curry that's spicy, tangy, slightly sweet, and incredibly comforting and perfect when spooned over rice or with roti.

How to Properly Cook Spice Paste for Curries - see How to Section