Tuesday, April 28, 2015

NASI KUNYIT WITH NYONYA KARI KAY [NYONYA CHICKEN CURRY]

When thinking of celebrating the end of confinement period and first month of the newborn's life, these dishes, hard boiled eggs coloured red or pink and Angku Kuih are associated with each other.
Chicken curry is also considered one of main dishes served during most Chinese festivals or weddings of Peranakan Chinese especially in northern states of Malaysia.

This Nyonya Kari Kay [chicken curry] tasted good especially with Nasi Kunyit [Tumeric Glutinous Rice].  
Ingredients
[adapted from Nyonya Flavours with some modifications]
Curry Paste [Ingredients blended in processor]
30 gm [15] dried chillies - soaked and drained
200 gm [20] shallots
15 gm [4 cloves] garlic
2 candlenuts [buah keras] -  optional
20 gm toasted belacan
2 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp fennel powder
1 tsp cumin powder
20 gm [3 tbsp] coriander powder

1.2 kg meaty chicken [chicken thighs] - cut bite size pieces [I removed the skin]
300 gm [3] large potato - peeled and cut wedges
400 ml thin coconut milk
100 ml thick coconut milk
1 tbsp salt to taste
2 tsp sugar to taste
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
5 tbsp oil or more
  1. Blend dried chillies, shallots, garlic, candlenuts with belacan in a blender until fine.  Then mix with the powdered ingredients.  Set aside.
  2. Heat oil over medium low heat to saute star anise, cinnamon stick and cloves until aromatic.  Add in prepared curry paste.  Stir fry until oil separates.
  3. Add in chicken, fry for a minute, then add in potatoes.  Stir to coat well with the curry paste for 1-2 minutes.  Pour in the thin coconut milk.  Add in seasoning [salt and sugar] to taste.
  4. Bring it to a boil and continue to cool until chicken and potatoes are tender.
  5. Lastly add in the thick coconut milk and cook until gravy is slightly thick.
  6. Serve with plain white rice or Nasi Kunyit [Tumeric Rice].
NASI KUNYIT
[TUMERIC GLUTINOUS RICE]
This tumeric rice is usually cooked to serve with Nyonya Chicken Curry. 
I prepared only 1/2 portion [300 gm rice] of this recipe to serve with the curry.
Verdict - this is a very easy recipe to follow yet the result is so good.  The curry flavour matches so well with the tumeric rice.  
Recipe Source - Nyonya Flavours with some modifications
Ingredients
600 gm glutinous rice
500 ml water, or enough to cover the rice grains
1 1/2 tbsp tumeric powder
2 pieces dried tamarind peel#
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp white peppercorns
2 pandan leaves - knotted
250 ml thin coconut milk*
250 ml thick coconut milk*
1 tsp salt
* extracted from 1 grated coconut
# added to improve the rice texture
  1. Wash rice in a big bowl.  Add enough water to cover the rice.  Stir in the tumeric powder, tamarind peel and sugar.  Leave to soak overnight for rice to absorb the tumeric flavour and yellow colour.
  2. Drain rice and rinse.
  3. Put the rice in a steaming tray, mix in peppercorns, pandan leaves and thin coconut milk.  Steam for 15 minutes.
  4. Remove from steamer, stir in 1/3 of the thick coconut milk.  Mix well and steam for another 15 minutes.
  5. Fluff the rice and stir in another 1/3 of the thick coconut milk.  Steam for 15 minutes.  Remove and fluff rice.
  6. Add salt to the remaining thick coconut milk and mix well with the rice.  Steam for 5 minutes.
  7. Remove to cool before serving with chicken curry.





This post is linked to Cook Your Books Event #22 [April 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

14 comments:

  1. Hi Kimmy, this chicken curry looks so gorgeous and delicious! Pairing it with turmeric rice sounds really yummy. Thank you for the recipe!

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  2. Hi Kimmy,

    This is beautiful! You have cooked this classic dish really well.

    Zoe

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  3. Hi Kimmy,
    Your nasi kunyit and curry chicken looks delicious!
    One of our favourite dish when we sometimes have our family gathering! We also love having the nasi kunyit with sambal and salted fish!
    Of course, curry chicken is everyone's favourite too!

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  4. Hi Jasline, all in the family loves nasi kunyit with chicken curry. Have to tell you, it wasn't enough for 4 of us. Next time,I will have to cook more....it's not difficult to cook both the curry and rice.

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  5. Thanks Zoe, so far I'm very pleased with this recipe and wouldn't mind following it the next time I want to eat this. We enjoyed it very much.

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  6. Hi Joyce, I didn't know that nasi kunyit can be served with sambal and salted fish. Did you post this recipe in your blog? Would love to try it. Great idea to serve this in family gathering. will keep this in mind.

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  7. Hi Kimmy. Thank you for the recipe. Plan to try it out soon. Just want to ask, for the nasi kunyit, is 1 coconut used or 2?

    Sara

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  8. Hi Sara, 1 grated coconut, squeezed out 250 ml thick coconut milk, then add enough water to squeeze out 250 ml thin coconut milk.

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  9. Hi Kimmy... this combination of tumeric and Curry chicken bring back lots of memories of my Mom. She cooked this and also vegetable Achar every Lunar New Year... I will definitely try to cook this awesome dish for my children. Thanks so much for sharing, Kimmy. Have a blessed day!😁

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  10. This is a great recipe. Do try and enjoy.

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  11. Hi Kimmy,
    Do you know how to modify a Nonya curry to make it taste better? I have to do it for home econs and I am not sure how to modify your recipe. Thank you and your curry looks good :)

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  12. Hi Anonymous, I have a few posting on Nyonya Curry Chicken. You can look up the others for a simpler version.

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  13. Hi Kimmy, I just made this today. I omitted fennel as I ran out of it. But I added serai and galangal to stir fry with the cinnamon and cloves. And more serai to fry with the spices. I also used a mix of coconut milk and cashew milk. The curry was so yummy and thick. Thank you Kimmy!!

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  14. Hi, this curry is very salvating. Thick curries are full of flavours is goes well with a variety of rice. I wanted to prepare this for Duan Wu Jie [Dumplings Festival] because I am not making any Rice Dumplings this year. Unsure because I try not to go out marketing due Covid lockdown. Better stay home stay safe.

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