Chicken Curry

Curry is one of the easiest dish to prepare but first you need to get the ingredients right. Asian Curry should not be sweet, normally no sugar is added to the dish, it should have a distinct curry flavour with a touch of little sourness. Another item should not add is carrot, it will make the curry sweet and flavour the curry with carrot taste, carrot is good for stew.

In South East Asia there are many version of curries, Chinese, Nonya, Malay, Indian or Thai. To me Japanese Curry is not curry, it is just a stew cook in curry powder. An authentic curry should have a layer of oil which is the curry powder oil. Here is my version I have integrated from my mother's Nonya Curry and my ex-wife's Malay Curry, but the basic cooking style remains the same.

INGREDIENT
Spices (Chinese Curry normally do not add these)

• Fennel
• Cumin Seeds
• Cardamon Seeds
• Coriander Seeds
• Cinnamon Roll
• Star Anise
• Cloves

To be blended

• 50g Ginger
• 50g Garlic
• 1/2 Onion

1/2 cup Oil (prefer peanut oil)

800ml Water

2 stalk Curry Leaves 

1 cube Kross Chicken Broth 

1 tsp Salt

1 x Whole Chicken (use chicken parts if you prefer)

2 x Potatoes (add more if you prefer)

1 x Tomatoes

75g Curry powder

The best pre-mix curry powder is from Baba's, there are 2 versions seafood and meat, so far this curry powder can be found in SE Asia but not Taiwan. On the left of the pic is Burung Nuri Meat Curry Powder that can be found in Taiwan however it is not as fragrance as Baba's 

Blend Garlic, Ginger and Onion

Chopped Chicken meat and season with a teaspoon of salt, leave it in fridge for half hour

Cut potatoes to bite size

Spices and Curry Powder

Mix Curry Powder with some water until in becomes a paste

under low heat fry spices till fragrance 

Low heat add curry paste and some curry leaves

The curry paste will absord the oil, fry till oil is released from the paste then add the blended mix. Stir fry around 2 to 3mins 

add chicken 

add tomato and more curry leave and stir fry for around 10mins

Add water and Chicken Cube, you can use chicken broth but I feel the cube makes cooking much easier. Add remaining curry leaves and salt to taste.

Kross Chicken Cube, my trick to get extra flavour in the curry

Malay and Thai Curries they add lemon stalk, this is an option or Asam Keping which will make the curry slightly sour.

Simmer till potato is soft and curry is ready to serve. Best served with steam rice or French loaf. 

You notice the curry is red, when cooled this is the layer of curry oil we want.

Options

1. Curry is best served overnight, just leave it on the stove without cover. Do not stir the curry anymore.
2. Chicken meat can be seasoned with curry powder and deep fried for 2mins, this method is to seal the juice in the meat and make the meat more chewy.
3. Potatoes can be deep fried so that it does not turn mushy after many preheating. Deep fried potatoes first before the chicken.
4. Add coconut milk if you prefer but not too much otherwise the whole curry will taste of coconut milk. I prefer not to add coconut milk because it might spoil the curry if left overnight.
5. If you like spicy, blend a few stalk of fresh chillies and stir fry after adding the curry powder.