New Asian Cuisine
| Welcoming Spring with Fast, Simple Asian Recipes |
Amah’s Aromatic Chicken Curry
By Carol Selva Rajah, Malaysian Cooking: A Master
Cook Reveals Her Best Recipes
By Carol Selva Rajah, Malaysian Cooking: A Master
Cook Reveals Her Best Recipes
My Amah or nanny had the uncanny ability to tease the
most tantalising aromas from a handful of garlic gently
sautéed with golden caramelised onions. She would then
brown the chicken in this, smother it with perfumed
herbs and freshly dry-roasted ground coriander and
cumin to produce this unforgettable dish, which
combines fragrances reminiscent of anise, parsley and
lemon.
serves: 6–8
preparation time: 30 mins
cooking time: 20 mins
most tantalising aromas from a handful of garlic gently
sautéed with golden caramelised onions. She would then
brown the chicken in this, smother it with perfumed
herbs and freshly dry-roasted ground coriander and
cumin to produce this unforgettable dish, which
combines fragrances reminiscent of anise, parsley and
lemon.
serves: 6–8
preparation time: 30 mins
cooking time: 20 mins
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2.5 cm (1 in) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk curry leaves, plucked and minced
1 kg (2 lbs) boneless chicken thigh fillets, sliced into bite-sized pieces
2 cups (500 ml) thick coconut milk
6–8 whole curry leaves
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Fresh juice of 1 lime
fried onion rings
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
2 small onions, thinly sliced into rings
Amah’s Curry Powder
3 tablespoons coriander seeds, dry-roasted and ground
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, dry-roasted and ground
1 tablespoon ground red pepper
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ground cassia or cinnamon
Prepare the Fried Onion Rings first by heating the ghee in a skillet and sautéing the onion rings over
medium heat until golden and crisp, 2–3 minutes. Remove the onions and drain on paper towels.
Grind the garlic and ginger to a smooth paste in a mortar.
Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the ground paste and chopped onion until fragrant, 2–3 minutes. Add the
minced curry leaf and stir-fry for 1 more minute. Increase the heat to high, add the chicken pieces and stir-
fry for 2–3 minutes until the meat changes colour. Add all the Amah’s Curry Powder ingredients and stir-
fry until well combined. Pour in 1 cup of the coconut milk, cover and simmer for 3–5 minutes.
Stir in the remaining coconut milk, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the curry has
thickened, 3–5 minutes. Add the whole curry leaves and season with sugar (if using), salt and pepper,
stirring well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired and remove from the heat. Transfer to a
serving bowl, top with Fried Onion Rings and drizzle the lime juice over the top. Serve immediately with
steamed rice.
[Reprinted by New Asian Cuisine with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing, a member of the
Periplus Publishing Group.]
2.5 cm (1 in) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk curry leaves, plucked and minced
1 kg (2 lbs) boneless chicken thigh fillets, sliced into bite-sized pieces
2 cups (500 ml) thick coconut milk
6–8 whole curry leaves
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Fresh juice of 1 lime
fried onion rings
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
2 small onions, thinly sliced into rings
Amah’s Curry Powder
3 tablespoons coriander seeds, dry-roasted and ground
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, dry-roasted and ground
1 tablespoon ground red pepper
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ground cassia or cinnamon
Prepare the Fried Onion Rings first by heating the ghee in a skillet and sautéing the onion rings over
medium heat until golden and crisp, 2–3 minutes. Remove the onions and drain on paper towels.
Grind the garlic and ginger to a smooth paste in a mortar.
Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the ground paste and chopped onion until fragrant, 2–3 minutes. Add the
minced curry leaf and stir-fry for 1 more minute. Increase the heat to high, add the chicken pieces and stir-
fry for 2–3 minutes until the meat changes colour. Add all the Amah’s Curry Powder ingredients and stir-
fry until well combined. Pour in 1 cup of the coconut milk, cover and simmer for 3–5 minutes.
Stir in the remaining coconut milk, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the curry has
thickened, 3–5 minutes. Add the whole curry leaves and season with sugar (if using), salt and pepper,
stirring well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired and remove from the heat. Transfer to a
serving bowl, top with Fried Onion Rings and drizzle the lime juice over the top. Serve immediately with
steamed rice.
[Reprinted by New Asian Cuisine with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing, a member of the
Periplus Publishing Group.]