Today's RECIPE is Gulai Kay/Curry Chicken. Most families have their own favorite recipe, here is one of ours.

Recipe by Mama Ding

Total Time | 1 hr 15 mins

Prep Time | 15 mins

Cook Time | 60 mins

Servings : 4 - 6

Ingredients

1.6 kg (3.5 lbs) chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
400 g (4 medium-size) potatoes , peeled and cut into wedges
8 tbsp cooking oil (excess oil can be skimmed later)
Spice powder – mixed with enough water into a paste (A):
3 tbsp meat curry powder
1 tsp coriander seeds powder/serbuk ketumbar
1 tsp fennel seeds powder/serbuk jintan manis
1 tsp cumin powder/serbuk jintan putih
Blended/Pounded Spices (B). Blend or pound the following:
10 dried chillies, soaked in hot water till soft and deseeded
5 red chillies, deseeded
30 shallots, peeled
6 cloves garlic, peeled
5 candlenuts/buah keras
2.5 cm (1 inch) piece of fresh turmeric root
2.5 cm (1 inch) piece of galangal, sliced
3 stalks lemongrass, sliced (white part only)
1 tbsp dried shrimp paste/belacan (optional)
Spices (C)– use as is:
2 star anise
1 piece of (4 cm length) cinnamon stick
3 cloves
5 cardamoms
3 stalks curry leaves, remove stalk
Liquid ingredients:
1 liter (4 cups) thin coconut milk
200 ml (about 1 cup) thick coconut milk
Seasoning:
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tbsp sugar or to taste
1 tbsp light soy sauce or to taste

Method

01 Heat the cooking oil in a deep pot. Add the 3 types of spices (A), (B) and (C).

Fry until fragrant and oil rises, about 20 mins.

02 Add chicken pieces and 1 cup of thin coconut milk. Stir well and bring to the boil.

Reduce to medium low heat and simmer for 10 mins. Add the remaining thin coconut milk gradually.

03 Add the potatoes; cover and continue to cook on medium low heat.

Cook until the chicken meat is tender, about 20 mins.

04 Pour in thick coconut milk and season with salt, sugar and light soy sauce to taste.

Bring to a boil and cook until oil rises.

Turn off heat and dish out to serve with rice, noodles or bread.

Notes

You will need a lot of oil to saute the spices so you’ll get a fragrant curry. Skim off excess oil before serving.

Use freshly squeezed coconut milk for maximum flavor.

If using coconut milk from cartons, use undiluted (200 ml) for the thick coconut milk and dilute 500 ml coconut milk in carton with 500 ml water for the thin coconut milk.