Malaysian Chicken Curry 【马来咖喱鸡】

Many of my friends here in US like the Roti Canai and Chicken curry in one of the Malaysian restaurant here in NJ and have asked for the recipe to make it on several occasions. To a Malaysian taste buds, the curry in the restaurant is far from authentic. So I have been meaning to write a post about the kind of curry I grow up eating for a long time.

I brought with me some Malaysian Curry powder the last time I visited Malaysia, so here is my version of Malaysian Chicken Curry.

去过马来餐厅吃饭的人多数都吃过一道马来煎饼（抛饼）加咖喱鸡，煎饼是这道菜的灵魂，不过沾酱咖喱鸡也举足轻重。

这个咖喱鸡很多人会做，却很多人都做不好，即便是马来西亚人。主要是很多人以为做咖喱鸡就是把咖喱粉加洋葱炒好，下鸡肉块，然后调味加椰奶就行了。这个做法有个很大的缺点，就是粉类香料味道过重，而且咖喱汁不够浓，一入口都是粉粉的味道，我个人是非常不喜欢的。 

正统的马来咖喱鸡，是要有生辛香料搅拌成糊（传统是用石捣臼捣的）再加上八角桂皮之类的香料，咖喱粉倒是不必用得特别多的。 这三者之间需要达到一个平衡，咖喱的味道才会丰富温和。

注：这里还有一点要说明，咖喱粉牌子也很重要。咖喱粉其实就是好几个主要的香料粉根据不同的比例混合而成的，主要成分就是姜粉、孜然粉、辣椒粉、姜黄粉、芫荽粉等等。做不同的咖喱所用的咖喱粉比例会有所不同。很多人误解咖喱粉是一种单一香料，这个理解是不对的。  

喜欢“槟城”咖喱鸡的朋友，可以试试以下这个食谱，绝对更好吃。

Ingredients:
2 lbs Chicken thigh, cut into 2 inches pieces
2 Medium size potato ( peel and cut into wedges)
1 Cinnamon stick
2 Medium size star anise or 1 large
2 Cardamom pods (slightly pounded)
Around 15 Curry leaves ( 1 prig)

Seasoning:
Salt to taste (around 1 1/2 tsp)
2 tbsp Baba's meat curry powder 
4-5 tbsp Coconut milk powder/ 2 cup of frozen coconut milk.
1 tsp of brown sugar

To blend into paste:
8 Shallots
3/4 inch ginger root
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of chili powder (Reduced for lesser heat)
3 Candle nuts/6 cashew nuts/3 macadamia nuts

材料:

2 磅鸡肉 (洗净切块)

1 根桂皮 Cinnamon Stick

2 只八角 Star Anise

2 只豆蔻籽 Cardamom Pod

2 只土豆（马铃薯）

大约15片咖喱叶 Curry Leave

2 tbsp  Baba's meat curry powder 或 自制马来咖喱粉

5-6 tbsp 椰浆粉 或  2 cup 鲜榨椰浆（不鼓励用罐头椰浆，味道差太远了）

 

以下所有材料搅拌成糊状：

8 只红葱 （Shallots）

3/4 寸 姜

3 瓣 蒜瓣

1 tsp 辣椒粉 （不嗜辣可以减半）

3 只石鼓仔(Candle nuts) 可用6只腰豆 （Cashew Nuts)或 3只macadamia nuts 代替

 
调味：
1 1/2 tsp 盐 或适量
1 tsp 糖

 

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with a pinch of turmeric powder, a pinch of pepper powder and some salt for about 20 minutes.

1. 鸡肉切块用一点点的胡椒粉和盐稍微腌20分钟，然后锅里下2 tbsp的油 (如果用的鸡肉不带皮请自行增加1 tbsp的油），入桂皮，八角和豆蔻籽（捣开）中火翻炒大约30秒。

 

2. In a cooking pot, add 3 tablespoons of oil（if skinless chicken or chicken breast being used, add 1 more tbsp oil), throw in the cinnamon stick, star anise and cardamom pods, stir until fragrant.

3. Pour in the blended paste, cook until water reduced, the paste thickened and the oil breaks at the edge. Add the curry leaves and 2 tbsp of curry powder, stir well and add chicken pieces.

4. Cook until the chicken pieces changes color and reduced heat to medium low, slightly towards the lower side. This is crucial as this step is to release grease from the chicken. This may take about 10 minutes or so, depending on your stove.

5. When the oil started showing at the edge of chicken pieces, add potato, stir well and cover with lid, cook for another 5 minutes.

6. Dilute coconut milk powder in 2 cups of warm water and add it to the pot, crank the heat up to rolling boil. Then reduced the heat to low and simmer the curry for about 35 minutes. DO NOT boil the curry at high, this will break the chicken and turn the potatoes into mush.

7. Seasoned with salt and sugar before turning off the stove. Allowed the chicken curry to sit on the stove for about 20 minutes after cooking, this will thicken the gravy and taste creamier.

2. 把搅拌好的辛香料倒入锅内中火煮干，下咖喱叶，加入3大匙的咖喱粉翻炒，倒入鸡肉翻匀，一直保持中火熬至边上泛油。这个程序很重要，一定要煮到鸡肉出油为此，不然香料的味道不出来，就不好吃了，把土豆块加入。

3. 椰浆粉 5-6 tbsp 加入2 cup 温水搅拌至溶解或两杯椰酱倒入锅里，先大火煮滚，后中火偏小火焖35分钟，记得不要大滚，微滚的就好了，咖喱是要焖够才会好吃的。 35分钟后，加盐和糖调味。不要趁热吃，先熄火加盖虚焖大约20分钟再吃，味道更好。 

I love to serve this with Kawan Brand Malaysian Paratha... it's the best combination, ever!

就着泰国香米饭，特别好吃哦！

中文--马来咖喱鸡