ANNIE'S MALAYSIAN CHICK 'N POTATO CURRY

Annie's Malaysian Chick 'n' Potato Curry

Living in Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo, for almost 12 years has given me so much joy, not the least of which has been my introduction to Malaysian cooking. Of course, here I have all the ingredients at my fingertips. Our local farmer's market is filled with everything I could ever want. Even fresh coconut milk. One of the best stalls is manned by a very friendly Indian guy who, for MYR5 (AUD1.60; USD $1.07, CAD $1.46, SGD $1.43 as I write) mixes for me a bespoke curry paste containing red chillies, fresh turmeric, galangal, ginger, candle nuts, and other secret ingredients. He often throws in a couple of cinnamon quills and a branch of curry leaves. The recipe here has some of those ingredients in the Spice Paste too but if some prove difficult to find, there's absolutely no shame in getting a pre-mixed Malaysian or Indian curry paste available in most countries now, thanks to globalisation. Many of those store-bought pastes are excellent. If I didn't have my lovely Indian guy, that's what I would use if I were in a hurry and hungry!

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons corn oil

2 yellow onions, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 whole chicken, cut up into 10 – 12 pieces

500ml chicken stock

2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, chopped and pounded

6 – 8 kaffir lime leaves

1 stalk curry leaves

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

270ml coconut milk

Juice from 2 small limes

Sea salt to taste

SPICE PASTE (OR BUY STORE BOUGHT)

3cm galangal

8 red birds-eye chillies

6 shallots

2cm ginger, peeled and sliced

6 candle nuts

1cm fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced

½ teaspoons belacan

METHOD

If you’re making your own, blend all the SPICE PASTE ingredients to a fine paste,

Heat the oil in a large heavy cooking pot (cast iron if you have one). Add the chopped onions and garlic and fry until they soften. Add the Spice Paste and keep stirring for five minutes so it doesn’t stick. You might have to add a bit more oil.

Add the chicken pieces and toss well until all chicken is coated in the paste. Add the pounded lemongrass, kaffir lime and curry leaves. Cover and continue to cook on very low heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken stock, toss until all pieces are submerged, cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes.

Add the chunks of potato and toss well so all chicken pieces and potato are covered in the stock. Simmer, uncovered, for another 15 minutes, occasionally scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent burning.

Add coconut milk, lime juice and salt to taste and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Serve with your favourite steamed rice.