My photographer is on strike. Explains why my blogs are missing wonderful pictures of my scrumptious cooking. Actually, he is simply distracted with other interests at the moment as with boys and their toys.
I remember as a little kid, cooking curry was always a communal event. I am not kidding. Aunties would be crowding in our already tiny kitchen, some pounding spices with the traditional mortar and pestle, some peeling onions and kilos of potatoes and some just hanging around with cups of teas in their hands gossiping away. At times, the neighbours were even invited for a meal of steaming, spicy, mouth-watering curry with rice and french loaves to mop up the gravy.
Life has gotten busier now and instant ingredients have taken away the joy of communal cooking. The saving grace is that I can whipped up the same Nonya chicken curry in half an hour whenever I am reminiscing the good old days.
There are some ingredients that I always have in my kitchen: Curry powder, coconut cream, crushed garlic in a pottle, crushed ginger in a pottle, chili flakes, bag of onions, bag of potatoes and frozen chicken drumsticks.
This recipe does not beat the traditional ingredients and method of cooking a good chicken curry. But it is easy and close enough if you are craving one on a week night or cannot be bothered to go to the extreme.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (around 1.5 kg or use chicken pieces with bones)
4 medium potatoes peeled and cut into large pieces
15 shallots
400gm light coconut cream
6 teaspoon of crushed garlic
2 tbsp of crushed ginger
5 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup chicken stock
1 stalk lemon grass
6 tbsp oil for cooking
Steps:
1. Chop chicken into large pieces.
2. Peel and cut potatoes into wedges. Set aside.
3. Blend together shallots, curry powder, ginger, garlic.
4. Heat oil in a pot. Fry blended mixture for about a minute until fragrant
5. Add chicken pieces and fry for a few minutes ensuring chicken is all coated with curry paste.
6. Add chicken stock and let it simmer on medium heat for about 10 mins.
7. Add potatoes. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes
8. Add coconut milk and bring it to a boil. Add salt and sugar before lowering the heat and let the curry simmer for another 10 mins.
9. If the curry appears too runny, remove the cover and let it simmer. If it is too dry, add more water or chicken stock.
8. Serve with rice and french loaf.
Serves 6
Tips:
1. Use chicken pieces with bones. Bones add flavour to soups and curries.
2. Soak potatoes in water and a teaspoon of salt if you are not using them immediately. This will stop the potatoes from turning brown.
3. Curry is always better the next day.
4. If the curry turns out too hot, do not throw it out. Simply add sugar to adjust the heat.
I remember as a little kid, cooking curry was always a communal event. I am not kidding. Aunties would be crowding in our already tiny kitchen, some pounding spices with the traditional mortar and pestle, some peeling onions and kilos of potatoes and some just hanging around with cups of teas in their hands gossiping away. At times, the neighbours were even invited for a meal of steaming, spicy, mouth-watering curry with rice and french loaves to mop up the gravy.
Life has gotten busier now and instant ingredients have taken away the joy of communal cooking. The saving grace is that I can whipped up the same Nonya chicken curry in half an hour whenever I am reminiscing the good old days.
There are some ingredients that I always have in my kitchen: Curry powder, coconut cream, crushed garlic in a pottle, crushed ginger in a pottle, chili flakes, bag of onions, bag of potatoes and frozen chicken drumsticks.
This recipe does not beat the traditional ingredients and method of cooking a good chicken curry. But it is easy and close enough if you are craving one on a week night or cannot be bothered to go to the extreme.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (around 1.5 kg or use chicken pieces with bones)
4 medium potatoes peeled and cut into large pieces
15 shallots
400gm light coconut cream
6 teaspoon of crushed garlic
2 tbsp of crushed ginger
5 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup chicken stock
1 stalk lemon grass
6 tbsp oil for cooking
Steps:
1. Chop chicken into large pieces.
2. Peel and cut potatoes into wedges. Set aside.
3. Blend together shallots, curry powder, ginger, garlic.
4. Heat oil in a pot. Fry blended mixture for about a minute until fragrant
5. Add chicken pieces and fry for a few minutes ensuring chicken is all coated with curry paste.
6. Add chicken stock and let it simmer on medium heat for about 10 mins.
7. Add potatoes. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes
8. Add coconut milk and bring it to a boil. Add salt and sugar before lowering the heat and let the curry simmer for another 10 mins.
9. If the curry appears too runny, remove the cover and let it simmer. If it is too dry, add more water or chicken stock.
8. Serve with rice and french loaf.
Serves 6
Tips:
1. Use chicken pieces with bones. Bones add flavour to soups and curries.
2. Soak potatoes in water and a teaspoon of salt if you are not using them immediately. This will stop the potatoes from turning brown.
3. Curry is always better the next day.
4. If the curry turns out too hot, do not throw it out. Simply add sugar to adjust the heat.
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