Kapitan Curry Chicken

The secrets to a successful Malaysian curry are fresh spices and the right amount of heat.

Basic spice mixture : 4 dried chilli, 2 eschalot, 2 garlic, 1 large stalk of lemongrass base (white portion only), 2 slices of galangal, turmeric (very small portion, or else it tastes medicinal).

Tip: cut up your spices into smaller pieces would reduce the time and energy required for pounding.
This must be well ground either manually with mortar and pestle or an effective electric grinder for making Indian curry powder. Blenders do not work as well.

The main contents are chicken which has to be marinated with good quality curry powder for 10 minutes and potatoes (steam, parboil or pre-fry if you prefer them softer).

Must haves:

- kaffir lime leaves to be added when the curry is almost cooked. Do not boil the leaves.

- toasted belachan (shrimp paste)

- 2 halved fresh chillies

Seasoning: dark soy sauce, small pinch of salt, palm sugar, fish sauce and pepper.

Cooking:

(1) Stir fry the spice mixture in heated vegetable oil till fragrant. Be patient and do not burn the spices.

(2) Add marinated chicken pieces and sear the outer layer.

(3) Add potatoes

(4) Pour in coconut milk from 1 coconut or 300g of tinned or tetrapak coconut milk

(5) Keep stirring to prevent food sticking to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a soft boiling state. Keep it simmering for 10 minutes without the lid on the pot.

(6) Add kaffir lime leaves

Satay - Grill Meat Skewer

The word "satay" has an Indonesian-Malayan origin. As a significant population comprises Muslim, chicken has become the most common meat use in making Southeast Asian skewer. Chicken is also acceptable to the Hindu Indians and Balinese in this region who are prohibited to eat beef. This recipe is quite similar to the southern Thai "sate".

For a serving of 5 to 6, use 300 - 500 g of chicken fillet, preferably thigh meat (which has more bite and is juicier and doesn't dry out easily compared to breast meat). Cut into rectangular bite size. Marinate for at least 2 hours.

Marinade
Pepper powder 1 tsp
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Tamarind juice - 1 tsp ready made from the bottle or make from soaking 2 cm of tamarind & strain
* Tip : must have, to tenderise and infuse a complex tangy taste to the meat before cooking
Tumeric powder 1/4 tsp (* Tip : go easy on this spice - it can overwhelm the whole dish)
Lemongrass (1 piece from the white portion - pound finely)
Galangal (1/2 cm slice, pound finely)
Garlic (1 clove, pounded finely)
Salt 3/4 tsp
Dark soy sauce (runny type)

Peanut Sauce
Thick caramel dark soy sauce (ketchup manis)  2 TBS
Peanut (roughly pounded)  1 cup

Sugar 1 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Garlic clove (1 pound with chilli and shallot)
Shallot bulb (1 small onion)
Dried chilli - 2 pieces (soaked, cut, deseed and grind into paste with the above shallot and garlic)
Shrimp paste (toasted Malaysian type or soft Thai version straight from the tub) - only 1/2 tsp is needed
Coconut milk (thick) 400 g or dilute 300 g of cream - from experience, only Ayam and Kara made the cut

Method
1. Soak bamboo sticks in water to reduce burning
2. Skewer the meat in an elongated fashion to ensure easy grilling.
3. Only a little oil goes a long way because the meat has some fat (peanut, palm or rice) or any with high boiling point. Enough oil just to prevent the meat from becoming dark and burnt.
4. Grill over open fire on the BBQ or in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.
5. Turn the skewer and ensure that the meat is cooked evenly on both sides.
6. Meanwhile, boil all the ingredients for peanut sauce.

Traditional satay is served with another dipping sauce. Another secret to give away.

Relish / Sauce : Mix pineapple cube and Spanish onion with a bit of salt, sugar and rice vinegar.

When the satay is cooked, arrange on a large dish.

Serve with cut cucumber and all the sauces mentioned.

Rice cubes (compressed rice traditionally wrapped in leaves "basket" is good to have. This is as authentic as it can get.

Curry Chicken - Malaysian Kapitan Curry Ayam

Cooking curry can be quite challenging and takes years to master after much tasting and experimenting. But  nothing is impossible if you know the method and little secrets that make a world of difference.

The essential meat ingredient is free range chicken. Cut whole chicken into bite sizes or use chicken drumsticks. It is tastier using meat on the bone.  Marinate chicken meat with 2 tsp of good quality curry powder from the spice store or Ayam brand. Babas used to be quite good but they seem to have diluted the content. Fiji is a hint spicier and heavy on chilli.  It all depends on what you like. Just remember one thing : Do not use curry powder that has been prepared for many months or exposed to the air.

The spicy paste : dried chillies (soaked and cut into smaller pieces), galangal, onion, garlic, tumeric (a little) and peppercorn. Add candle nut (or macadamia nut) for thicker curry and nutty taste. It is important to fry the paste in 2 TBS oil till fragrant. Otherwise the curry will be flat.

Cut lemongrass into segments. Bruise the white portion and fry with the spice mix.  Add the green stems when the chicken is simmering in curry.

The potatoes : if you like it softer, steam or bake with salt briefing till semi-cooked. For medium soft, fry potatoes with the chicken. For crunchy potato, cut into smaller pieces and add to the curry when it is boiling.

Fry chicken in fried spice mix till 3/4 cooked. Prepare coconut milk and add to the curry. Do not add too much water initially until you see the results after putting in the meat and potatoes.

To make it extra tasty : add tamarind paste, crumbled shrimp paste (Malaysian) and a knob of ginger.

Seasoning : salt, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar according to taste.

Garnish : torn kaffir lime leaves (4) and common mint (2) and 1/2 TBS of thick coconut cream

Sprinkling of shredded coconut (preferably fresh) at the end of the cooking will make any indifferent curry eater drool. If not available, use either snap frozen (steamed) or good quality dessicated coconut though these are not as fragrant.

The difference between most curries and rendang is the latter has less liquid and is browner in colour.