RECIPE: SPICY STIR FRIED CHICKEN

Something I whipped up quickly in the kitchen!


Ingredients

800g chicken thigh or breast meat – sliced
2 tsp freshly crushed red chillies
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Splashes of soy and fish sauce
Vegetables of choice – I used snow peas and baby corn
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 onion – sliced fine
Oil

Method


Marinated the chicken with the crushed chillies, soy and fish sauce for 30 mins.

Heat about 4 tbsp of oil in a wok and sauté the garlic and onions for 1 min. Add in the chicken and cook until the chicken is nearly done.


Add in the sweet chilli sauce and vegetables. Moisten with some water and a few splashes of soy and fish sauce. When the vegetables are done, lift and serve with rice or fresh hokkien noodles.

RECIPE: MANGO CHICKEN CURRY

I was very surprised with the reaction of the household (and mine too) when I made this dish. I thought it would be quite sweet and sickly actually….well, as it turned out, it is sweet yet not sickly and altogether yummy! The original recipe did not call for chillies or nutmeg but I added some. Maybe it was the chillies…. and freshly ground pepper that did the trick…..


Ingredients

600g skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into cubes
Vegetable oil
2 large brown onions - diced
2 cloves garlic – diced minced
Thumb size ginger - grated
2 tbsp English style curry powder such as McKenzie’s
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg - optional
2 ripe mangoes or 1 large tin mango pieces – pureed (see my GLOSSARY post on MANGOES)
2 tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
Water
5 to 6 dried chillies - optional
‘Hard’ vegetables such as carrots, celery, capsicum or zucchini (I used carrots and celery)
Small handful of raisins - optional
1/2 cup cream or coconut milk – I used coconut milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Coriander or celery leaves to garnish

Method

Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté about 5 minutes (or until soft and golden. Add in the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute.

Add in the curry powder, cumin, nutmeg with ½ cup of water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar, 1 cup of water and the pureed mango. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pan from heat and using a hand held blender, puree the sauce. Alternatively, pour it into a blender and puree, then return the sauce to the pot. Simmer gently and add more water if required.

In a frying pan (with minimum oil), lightly brown the chicken along with the dried chillies and add to the sauce. You may omit this stage and add the chicken pieces and chillies straight into the simmering sauce*. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the vegetables (however, if using celery, add it only about 2 minutes before lifting - I prefer my celery crunchy so I only add it into the pot just before lifting it off the heat).

Stir in the cream or coconut milk (along with raisins, if using) and cook until it starts to come to the boil (without actually boiling as this may curdle the cream). Season with salt and pepper, lift, garnish and serve over a plate of freshly cooked rice. Hmmmm…..

PS: If the dish is too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If not sweet enough, add a dash of sugar.

Note: You may also make a few batches of the sauce and freeze them for later use. The sauce works well with just vegetables too.

*The original recipe called for the chicken to be added straight into the sauce without browning it in the first instance.

VG’s rating: 3.5 stars

RECIPE: STIR FRIED CHICKEN WITH HONEY AND GINGER

This recipe is adapted from Kylie Kwong’s ‘Simple Chinese Cooking’. What I love about her cooking is her simple and quick recipes…..ideal for the working mother who, regardless of a hectic day at the office, still appreciates and demands good food. Here is an example of one. And the beauty of this dish is….all the preparation is done the night before!!!


Ingredients

800g boneless chicken thigh fillets – sliced into bite sized pieces
Oil for frying (peanut or canola works well)
2 tbsp light soy sauce

Marinade

¼ cup honey (see my GLOSSARY post on HONEY)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (my Muslim friends, you may substitute with chicken stock)
2 tbsp diced ginger
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp Chinese five spice powder (see my GLOSSARY post on CHINESE FIVE SPICE POWDER)
½ tsp sesame oil


Method

Mix the chicken well with the marinade ingredients and leave to marinade for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Heat oil in a wok until simmering and fry half of the chicken for 2 mins. Lift and set aside and repeat with the next batch.

Whilst the second batch is still in the wok, return the first batch back into the wok, along with the 2 tbsp of light soy and cook for another 2 to 3 mins until the chicken is cooked and slightly caramelised.

Lift and serve with rice and side dish of vegetables such as STIR FRIED PAK CHOY WITH MUSHROOMS AND OYSTER SAUCE.

VG’s rating: 4.5 stars

RECIPE: CHICKEN IN CHILLI BLACK BEAN SAUCE

It is safe to say that this is one dish that you will find in most Chinese restaurant menus (minus the chillies). However, if you are anything like me, it is usually the one dish I do avoid when ordering as I always find it either too salty or gluggy and it makes me feel really thirsty after I have eaten it (maybe it is the added msg – though none of the restaurants would ever admit that they actually use it in their cooking!). Therefore, I prefer to make this at home and in my opinion, the addition of the sliced chillies actually gives it the extra edge. Don’t just take my word for it….try it for yourselves!


Ingredients

600g boneless chicken breast or thigh – sliced

Cooking oil such as peanut or canola oil
Thumb size ginger – sliced into matchsticks or minced
3 cloves garlic - minced
2 fresh red chillies such as serrano – sliced (you may also use dried chillies – use extra in this instance and tear into a few pieces each)
1 large onion - quartered
1 large carrots - sliced
1 medium capsicum – cut into cubes
2 tbsp CHINESE FERMENTED BLACK BEANS (coarsely chopped or mashed using the back of a spoon) or 2 to 3 tbsp Lee Kum Kee’s black bean sauce (see my GLOSSARY post on CHINESE FERMENTED BLACK BEANS)
1 tbsp (or to taste) light soy sauce
100 to 150ml chicken stock – I used 1/2 tsp of chicken stock powder diluted in water
Few drops sesame oil

Marinade

1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornflour


Method

In a bowl, mix the chicken with the marinade and leave to marinade for 15 mins.

Heat a wok over high heat until it is hot. Add in the oil and when slightly smoking, add in half the chicken and cook, stirring continuously until nearly done (2 to 3 minutes). Lift onto a plate and repeat the process with the next batch.

Next, in the same wok (add some oil if required) add the ginger, garlic, chillies and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Then add in the capsicum and black beans/sauce and cook for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the cooked chicken. Add in the soy sauce. Mix well.Add in the stock. Bring the mixture to the boil and add in the onions.

Cook for 1 minute, stir in a few drops of sesame oil, lift and serve hot with rice.

Note

You can substitute the chicken with beef, prawns, squid or any firm white fish fillets. Make sure you adjust the cooking times to suit your meat/seafood.

You may also add vegetables such as snow peas, baby corn and cauliflower to the dish.

VG’s Rating: 4 stars

RECIPE: CHENGDU CHICKEN

I think I got this recipe from the net somewhere and I believe the original recipe calls for it to be served with spinach. Instead, I served my CHENGDU CHICKEN with BEANSPROUTS AND CHINESE CHIVES WITH PRAWNS.

The dish may seem complicated with the different spices and sauces used, but it is actually quite easy to make. Most of the work is in the preparation. In any instance, it tastes great….so it makes it all so worthwhile!


Ingredients

800g boneless skinless chicken breasts – cut into cubes

Marinade
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp sesame oil
2 to 3 tsp cornstarch

Sauce
2 tbsp Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar or rice vinegar (red rice vinegar if possible)
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch mixed in 2 tbsp water

Other Ingredients
2 spring onions – sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic - minced
½ thumb size ginger - minced
2 to 3 tbsp hot bean paste
1 tsp sesame oil or to taste
1 tsp freshly ground Szechuan pepper (see my GLOSSARY post on SZECHUAN PEPPER)
Vegetable or peanut oil

Method

Add the marinade ingredients to the cubed chicken, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce. Combine the rice wine or dry sherry, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the water. Set aside.

Heat a wok with sufficient oil to fry the chicken cubes. Stir the chicken continually to keep it from sticking to the wok. When the chicken changes colour and is nearly 80 per cent cooked, remove it from the wok. Leave about 2 tbsp of the oil in the wok.

Add the garlic, ginger and hot bean paste to the wok. Stir-fry briefly until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the chicken back into the wok and mix with the hot bean paste.

Make a well in the wok by pushing the chicken to the sides and add the sauce mixture in the middle. Give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick re-stir and mix it in the sauce, stirring quickly to thicken.

Now toss the chicken back into the centre, mixing it well with the sauce. Add in the green onion and sesame oil. Sprinkle the freshly ground Szechuan pepper over top. Lift and serve hot with stir fried vegetables and rice.

VG’s rating: 4 stars

RECIPE: FRAGRANT COCONUT CHICKEN (OPOR AYAM)

My version of the OPOR AYAM, adapted from the “SHIOK!” cookbook. Hope you like it. I know my household did!


Ingredients

4 tbsp veg oil
1 tin thick coconut milk
2 small free range chicken or 12 assorted chicken pieces
4 large dried chillies - soaked
2 stalks lemon grass – bruised
4 whole lime leaves
Salt to taste
1 tsp sugar

Spice paste – ground into thick fine paste

3 slices galangal
Thumb size ginger
6 candlenuts
12 small shallots or 2 large red onions
Thumb size fresh turmeric
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground fine black pepper (see my GLOSSARY post on BLACK PEPPER)
*8 large dried chillies – soaked (this is optional)

Method

Heat oil in a pot and fry spices for 6 to 8 mins until thick and fragrant. Add 2 tbsp of the coconut milk and cook for a further 2 mins.

Add in the chicken pieces, whole chillies, lemon grass, lime leaves, coconut milk and ½ cup water. Simmer for 20 to 25 mins, stirring occasionally.

Add salt and sugar and cook for a further 10 mins until gravy is very thick. Serve hot.

Note: If you want a pale curry, you may omit the turmeric. You may also omit the chillies in the ground spices if you want a very mild curry.

RECIPE: THAI STYLE STIR FRIED SPICY GINGER CHICKEN

Something quick I whipped up in the kitchen. You can add more vegetables such as peas, baby corn or mushrooms if you like.

Ingredients

500g chicken breast fillets – sliced into bite sized pieces
1 large onion thickly sliced or 2 spring onions cut into 3 cm lengths or both (see my GLOSSARY post on ONION)
2 cloves garlic
Thumb sized finger – sliced fine
2 carrots – sliced thinly
Thai style light soy sauce
2 tsp Thai style fish sauce
3 to 4 fresh (quartered) or dried chillies (torn into two)*
Salt and pepper
Egg white from one egg – lightly beaten
2 tsp corn flour
Oil


Method

Lightly season the chicken with freshly cracked pepper, ½ tsp salt, add in the egg white and corn flour and coat well. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok and fry the chicken in batches until golden. Lift and set aside.

In the same wok, fry the garlic, ginger and chillies for 30 secs and add in the carrots. Cook for about 1 to 2 minute.

Add in the chicken and coat with a few splashes of soy sauce (about 1 to 2 tbsp). Add in the fish sauce, mix well and cook until the carrots are done. Add in the onions/spring onions before lifting, mix well and turn off heat. Serve hot with rice, accompanied with a vegetable dish.

*Note: You may omit the chillies to make a milder dish.

RECIPE: SPICY AND SOUR STIR FRIED CHICKEN (AYAM TEMPRA)

A favourite with the Portuguese descendants in Malaysia and supposedly of Portuguese origin…. but the array of spices such as lemon grass, garlic and lime leaves makes this statement questionable. Anyway, it is quite easy to make and very, very nice. I added extra water to the dish, to make some gravy - the kids tend to complain when there is not enough liquid to moisten their rice. The measurements I have put here is for the original recipe though; so not much ‘gravy’ will be available. Adjust to taste.


Ingredients

6 large chicken thighs or 4 breast – sliced or cubed
½ tsp shrimp paste/belachan (see my GLOSSARY post on SHRIMP PASTE)
1 tbsp palm sugar or Gula Melaka (see my GLOSSARY post on GULA MELAKA)
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp Kecap Manis or Caramel Soy Sauce (see my GLOSSARY post on SOY SAUCES)
2 tbsp oil
1 onion – halved and sliced thickly
2 large red chillies – sliced at an angle
3 cloves garlic – sliced thinly at an angle
2 stalks lemon grass - sliced thinly at an angle (white bits only)(see my GLOSSARY post on LEMON GRASS)
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime
Salt to taste


Method

Mash/crumble the palm sugar into a powder (I used a mortar and pestle) and mash with the shrimp paste. Mix with the water and kecap manis until smooth. Use this to marinade the chicken, at room temperature for 15 to 30 mins.

Heat oil in a wok (over high heat) and fry the onions, chillies, garlic and lemon grass vigorously until just softened and fragrant (1 to 2 mins).

Add in the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 mins until the chicken is done. Add a few tbsp of water if you want some gravy.

Add in the lime juice and salt, check the seasoning and serve hot with rice and a side dish of salad such as my SPICY VINEGAR CUCUMBER SALAD.

RECIPE: STIR FRIED CHICKEN AND BABY CORN WITH FISH SAUCE

Today’s theme is FISH SAUCE. It is an acquired taste for as the name suggests, it is quite fishy in aroma and taste. However, don’t be put off by it. If you can get past the initial smell, it really is quite nice, especially when it has been cooked as the flavour mellows with the cooking process.

When using FISH SAUCE, the adage “less is best” works well.


To today's dish - it is an easy stir fry. I have used baby corn here but you could use carrots or add more vegetables to the chicken to make a substantial one pot meal. Just adjust your fish sauce and soy sauce to take into account the extra volume you may be using.

For a vegetable stir fry, check out my MIXED VEGETABLES STIR FRY WITH CHILLIES AND FISH SAUCE.


Ingredients

500g chicken breast or thighs – cut into bite sized pieces and marinate with 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp light soy sauce and 1 tbsp corn flour. Set aside for 15 minutes
2 large shallots – thinly sliced (you may substitute this with one onion)
3 cloves garlic - minced
200g fresh baby corn - I used baby corn fresh from the garden – thank you Mr G
4 to 5 serrano or bird’s eye chillies – sliced
2 spring onions – sliced fine
2 to 3 tbsp fish sauce (see my GLOSSARY post on FISH SAUCE)
1 tbsp Thai light soy sauce (see my GLOSSARY post on SOY SAUCE)
Handful of cashew nuts
½ tsp sesame oil
Veg oil

Method

Heat sufficient oil in wok and fry the chicken in two batches until 90 per cent cooked. Lift out and set aside.

In the same wok, fry the shallots, garlic and chillies until aromatic. Add in the corn and fry for 1 to 2 mins, stirring constantly. Add a few splashes of the soy sauce.

Return the chicken to the wok and mix the ingredients well. Add in all the sauces and cook until the chicken is done. Check seasoning. Add more soy sauce if needed.Before lifting, add in the spring onions, cashews and sesame oil.

Mix well, lift and serve hot with rice and side dishes such as MIXED VEGETABLES STIR FRY WITH CHILLIES AND FISH SAUCE and CUCUMBER IN SPICY SOY SAUCE AND SESAME OIL SALAD.

RECIPE: CHICKEN PAPRIKA - HAIRY BIKERS STYLE

One of my favourite cooking shows is the Hairy Bikers. It has two misfits, Simon King and David Myers, who travel all around the world on their motorbikes, learning the culture and cooking the cuisine of the countries they visit. This is one of the dishes they made on their journey to Transylvania – yes, it does exist and it is the birth place of ‘Vlad the Impaler’ aka ‘Dracula’.


Don’t be put off with the look of the dish. The dollops of cream added to the meal at the end makes it look as if it has curdled. The proof of this dish is in the taste, not the pictures. Try it, you won’t be disappointed....it is DELICIOS!!!


Ingredients

1 large chicken, jointed

salt
2 tbsp olive oil
knob of butter
1 onion - chopped
2-3 cloves garlic - chopped
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp hot paprika (this is not hot chilli powder)
1 tbsp flour
285ml chicken stock
3 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 red capsicums - de-seeded and cut into 1cm strips
4 large ripe tomatoes - roughly chopped
250ml oz sour cream

Method

Rub the chicken pieces with salt. Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy-bottomed pan and brown the chicken all over for a few minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set to one side.

To the same pan, add the onions and garlic and sweat for about five minutes. Add the sweet and hot paprika, then the flour, and stir until combined - take care not to burn it.

Add the stock and stir. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, adding a bit more stock if the mixtures seems too dry.

Add half of the chopped parsley and bring to the boil. Add the red capsicum strips, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes and simmer gently for about one hour.

When the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the sour cream and the remaining parsley. Check the seasoning and serve with hot crusty bread.

Hairy Bikers Si King and Dave Myers

RECIPE: CHICKEN AND BUK CHOY COOKED IN COCONUT CREAM WITH CHILLIES AND TURMERIC (AYAM DAN SAYUR MASAK LEMAK CILI API DENGAN KUNYIT)

A really simple dish to cook and goes beautifully with any sambals or fried fresh or dried fish. I was so impressed with the GOLDEN FRAGRANT CRABS that I decided to make GOLDEN FRAGRANT FRIED EGGS to serve with this dish. The recipe for the eggs is in the next post.


Ingredients – serves 6

1 bunch buk choy – cut to desired length (see my GLOSSARY post on BUK CHOY)
500 g chicken thighs or breast – cut into large cubes
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 large onion – sliced
5 to 8 bird’s eye chillies – sliced or pounded
½ tsp turmeric powder or half inch fresh turmeric pounded
½ tin coconut milk (see my GLOSSARY post on COCONUT MILK and also my post on COCONUT SCRAPER in GADGETS AND UTENSILS)
½ to 1 tin of water (measure using the coconut tin)
Salt to taste

Method

Heat some oil in a pot and saute the garlic for 30 secs. Next add in the chicken and the onions and saute until the chicken is nearly cooked. This should take around 4 to 5 mins. Add in the chillies and cook for a min.

Next add in the vegetables and cook for another min. Add in the coconut milk, water and turmeric. Stir constantly over medium low heat until the coconut milk starts to boil. Simmer for a min, add seasoning, lift and serve hot with rice and side dishes such fried fish, sambals such as SQUID SAMBAL or GOLDEN FRAGRANT FRIED EGGS.

RECIPE: SIMPLE CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

I may be of Indian heritage but that does not mean that I know everything Indian. Being a fourth generation Malaysian born, it’s no wonder why….and especially for one that has never been to India too! I have always wondered what TIKKA meant and while researching for this post, I found out that TIKKA actually means ‘pieces’ or ‘bits’. So, there you go....you learn something new everyday!


The traditional way of making CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA is to pre marinate the chicken pieces, then the pieces are grilled and finally, it is added to a thick creamy sauce/gravy. The result is a lovely smokey flavour mingled with the cream.

This however is a simple way of cooking CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA, when you have had a hard day at work and don’t really have the time to BBQ your chicken. My version uses fresh, non marinated boneless chicken thigh pieces. You still get the beautiful flavour from the spices in the sauce, minus the effort and cooking time!


Ingredients

1 kg chicken thighs or breast – cut into cubes
2 medium-sized onions finely chopped
4 to 5 cloves garlic chopped fine
5 pods cardamom (see my GLOSSARY post on CARDAMOM)
1 tin (400 gm approx) chopped tomatoes
1 tbsps garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp soft brown sugar
1 cup cream (see my GLOSSARY post on CREAM)
3 tbsp almonds blanched and ground to a paste
Cooking oil or butter (or a combination) to seal the chicken
2 tbsp butter or cooking oil (or a combination)
Salt to taste
1 fresh tomato - diced
Coriander – for garnishing
Freshly ground black pepper - optional

Method

Heat some oil in a deep pan on a medium flame and seal the chicken in batches. You only want to seal the chicken here, not fully cook it. Remove from the pot and set aside. Drain the oil but there is no need to wash the pot.

On a medium heat, now add 2 tbsp of butter to the pot. Add the onion. Cook till soft.

Add the cardamom and the garlic. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the garam masala, ground cumin and paprika and moisten with a tbsp or two of water if required. Cook the spices for 2 mins.

Now add the brown sugar, tomatoes, and almonds and mix well. Cook till the tomatoes are soft and a thick paste forms.

Add in the cooked chicken and stir. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add the cream and mix well. Add in half of the fresh diced tomatoes. Mix well.

Lift and serve the dish garnished with chopped coriander leaves and the diced tomatoes. Sprinkle some freshly cracked black pepper.

Serve hot with naan, CHAPATTIS or rice such as my CUMIN AND CARROT RICE.

RECIPE: THAI GREEN CHICKEN CURRY (KAENG KHIAO WAN GAI)

Hi to all. Yes, I am back after my mishap and I would like to thank everyone for your kind wishes. I will be visiting your sites shortly and also replying to all your e-mails. Please be patient :D

To kick off my blog after my long convalescence, I am posting an all time Thai favourite - GREEN CHICKEN CURRY. You can substitute the chicken with different meats or seafood such as prawns or calamari or make a vegetarian version of the curry using vegetables such potatoes, carrots, broccoli, baby corn and aubergine. The choice is endless!

Ingredients


1 tbsp veg oil
1 to 2 onions – sliced
3 cloves garlic – minced
2 to 3 tbsp green curry paste (see recipe HERE)
1 can large coconut milk
½ cup chicken stock – I used ½ tsp chicken stock powder diluted in ½ cup of hot water
6 to 8 kaffir lime leaves
4 large skinned chicken breast – cut into large cubes
1 large potato – cut into large cubes (optional)
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp Thai soy sauce – try to get this if you can – it makes a difference to the taste.
Grated rind and juice of ½ lime – I used bottled pure lime juice but omitted the lime rind today as I did not have any at home
1 tsp palm sugar (Gula Melaka) or soft light brown sugar
1 bunch coriander – chopped to garnish

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy based pan and stir fry the onion and garlic for 1 to 2 min. Add the GREEN CURRY PASTE and fry for another 2 min. Add a few tbsp of water if the paste is too thick.

Add the coconut milk, stock and lime leaves and bring to the boil.

Add the chicken and potatoes, lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20mins or until the chicken and potato is cooked.

Before lifting, add in the fish sauce, soy sauce, lime rind, lime juice and sugar. Cook for a min, add in the coriander and serve immediately with rice and vegetables.

RECIPE: VG’S CHICKEN CURRY II

Mr G found some free range chickens (‘kampong’ chickens as it is called in Malaysia and they make the best curry) and had asked me to prepare a curry. We had this for NYE, with some ROTI CANAI cooked on the BBQ and we set up the outdoor setting underneath a nice shady tree in our backyard. We chased it down with a couple of Apple Ciders. Pure Bliss!!! Here’s the recipe for the chicken curry.


Ingredients


2 small free range chickens (approx 1.6 kg)
3 large potatoes – peeled and cut into large pieces
1 tsp whole cloves (see my post on CLOVES)
1 tbsp whole cardamoms (see my post on CARDAMOM)
2 stalks lemon grass – cut into 3 pieces each and bruised
6 tbsp meat curry powder
1 tbsp cardamom powder (see my post on CARDAMOM)
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tin coconut cream/milk
1 large tomato – diced
1 coriander plant and 2 spring onions – sliced for garnishing
Water
Veg oil


Grind the following to a paste using minimal water:
300 gm shallots or small red onions
½ a large head of garlic
Thumb size fresh ginger
2 coriander plants
Large handful fresh mint
1 large tomato

Method

Heat oil in a large pot (about 4 tbsp) until hot and add in the cloves and cardamom. Fry for 30 secs. Next add in the ground ingredients and render to a thick paste. Add in 1 cup of water and repeat the process. You want your paste to cook well.

Now add in all the powders (curry, cardamom and coriander powder). Add in 2 cups of water and render this paste until the oils seeps through and the water has evaporated. Repeat this process.

Next add in the chicken and lemon grass and coat well with the masala (spice paste). Whilst stirring occasionally, cook for 5 mins or until the chicken has changed colour. Add about 2 cups of water and cook for 15 mins, on medium heat, stirring occasionally.

When the chicken is half cooked, add in the potatoes and check the liquid in the dish. If it is too dry, add another cup of water. When the chicken and potatoes and nearly done, add in the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins and just before lifting, add in the tomatoes and garnish. Mix well and serve hot with rice and breads such as ROTI CANAI.

RECIPE: CHICKEN TOM YAM PADPRIK

When I posted a version of this PADPRIK recipe a few months ago, one of the bloggers, MamaFami brought to my attention, a variation of Padprik. She used tom yam cubes in the meal and I must say that it is a change from the version I normally make. So thank you MamaFami for introducing me to this variation. You can see her post HERE. I have slightly changed her recipe (sorry dear) and this is how I made the dish.


Ingredients – serves 5 to 6

4 large shallots
2 red chillies - seeded
3 cloves garlic
750 g chicken - cut into thin strips
½ tsp salt*
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper*
2 tsp chilli powder*
2 tsp cornflour*
1 lemon grass – bruised
3 to 4 Kaffir lime leaves
1 onion - cut into thin wedges
3 tablespoon chilli sauce
3 tablespoon tomato sauce
3 tablespoon soya sauce
2 Knorr brand tom yam cube
Vegetables – I used carrots, snow peas, baby corn and cauliflower
1 tomato - segmented
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice

Method

Marinate the chicken with the * ingredients. Set aside for ½ an hour. Pound the chillies, shallots and garlic. Blanch the carrots and cauliflower for 1 min. Make sure that it is still crunchy. Drain well and refresh under cold water. Set aside.


Heat sufficient oil in a wok and shallow fry the meat until slightly golden. Drain and set aside.

In the same wok, fry the pounded ingredients until aromatic. Crumble the tom yam cube (add a tbsp or two of water) and fry for 1 min. Add in the fried meat and mix well.

Next, add in the chilli sauce, tomato sauce and soya sauce. Add in a bit of water if you want more gravy (I added in ½ a cup). Add in the lemon grass and lime leaves. Mix well and add in ALL the vegetables.

Stir for 1 to 2 mins, add in the onion and juice, check the seasoning (remember, the dish should be sourish) and serve hot with rice.