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"one dish meals"

Malaysian Chicken Curry (Updated)

September 25, 2009 By Eleanor Hoh 6 Comments

Malaysian Chicken Curry on banana leaf and newspaper setup
Malaysian Chicken Curry served Street Food Style on newspaper and banana leaf.

I can make my Mom’s Malaysian Chicken Curry blindfolded.  It’s so easy and fast. A simple “one dish meal” I make in my cast iron wok.  Open cover and VOILA, done. You never get tired of it. It’s so delicious, typically served with basmati rice, I prefer brown jasmine rice but entirely your preference as always. It’s also great with naan or paratha or both rice and paratha for carb overload.  Yes, I like to mix with other country’s way of serving, why not. And always with an ice cold beer.

HOW TO VIDEOS FOR MALAYSIAN CHICKEN CURRY AND CUCUMBER PICKLES


Watch step by step how to Youtube videos for Malaysian Chicken Curry and Cucumber pickle.
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This Malaysian Chicken Curry never fails to please me and guests! Best part? You can make curry and pickles AHEAD of time so you can enjoy your friends’ company.

Mom's Malaysian Chicken Curry with naan and ice cold, Tiger Beer
Mom’s Malaysian Chicken Curry with okra, naan (front), chipati and ice cold Tiger Beer.

Mom always served curries and spicy foods with a cucumber pickle to “cool” down the spicy curry, yin and yang. She also served it street food style on a banana leaf and we ate with our hands. I love serving it this way for special occasions so I can take friends on a “trip to Malaysia”.

When I was growing up in Hong Kong, my mom got my sisters and I pounding all the spices for curry by hand in a HEAVY stone mortar and pestle. I’m now the proud owner of that mortar and pestle. I had fantasies of how wonderful it would be to have freshly pounded spices. It didn’t last more than a week, it’s just not very practical for a small person to haul around a 60 pound mortar (exaggerating but really heavy). I now use a food processor to grind the “rempah” (see explanation below).

Stone mortar & pestle
Mom’s stone mortar & pestle I lugged back from Hong Kong.

Curry is basically many spices ground into powder. There are many different ways to make curry. I always choose the EASY, SIMPLE way, that’s what we, Wok Stars do.

Curries differ in spices used in India, Malaysia and Thailand. These are the 3 main countries that I associate curry with. I don’t necessarily agree with Wikipedia’s explanation of “curry”.

You can get good curry powder from Indian stores or Asian markets but I’ve never seen Malaysian curry powder, you can order from here. 

Rempah
Malaysian curries usually start with “rempah” to kickstart the dish. Rempah can include spices like coriander, tumeric, chili powder, galangal(yellow ginger), blachan (dried shrimp paste). My personal preference is NOT to add the spicy stuff in the rempah because when you fry it, it’s extremely pungent and makes you cough and sputter. My simple version of a Rempah is just garlic, ginger and shallots. Since the curry powder already has many of the spices like tumeric, coriander, cumin, chillies in it, there’s no need to add any more.

  • Rempah: garlic, ginger, shallots
    Rempah: garlic, ginger, shallots
  • Rempah and curry paste for Malaysian Curry Chicken
    Rempah and curry paste for Malaysian Curry Chicken

Curry Powder
My mom started using Baba’s Curry Powder when we all left home, ha, ha. Baba’s is the BEST brand, best stored in freezer to preserve potency. It’s all mixed and ready to go, no grinding required. I like EASY and CONVENIENT. 

Baba's Curry powder. Add a little water to make a paste.
Baba’s Curry powder. Add a little water to make a paste.

I absolutely love the smell of curry powder when it hits the hot wok. Yes, I cook curry in my cast iron wok. It’s the perfect shape and size, makes it easy to turn chicken around. If you’re worried about the acid from tomatoes or strong spices hurting your wok, I can assure you that once you wash it out and cure with a bit of oil and start using it, your patina will build up IMMEDIATELY.

You can HALVE this recipe if you just want to cook one tray of chicken (6 thighs) but curry is always better the next day. So, I like making a BIG batch since I’m doing the work already.

Share your feedback in comments if you make tried making this Malaysian Chicken Curry.
Or post on Instagram and tag @wokstar #wokstarway

Note 1: Just a word of warning, curry powder has tumeric, it turns everything yellow! So, cover your countertops if you don’t want any stains.

Note 2: I used Nuwave Mosaic Precision Induction Wok Stove to cook this curry. This is not a sponsored post. I wrote a review about this stove here. If you cannot have open flame where you live, this is a GREAT ALTERNATIVE!

Fresh ingredients:
2 trays of chicken thighs, drumsticks or quarters (skinless if you want)
1 large onion, cubed
1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced into wedges (or 4-6 plum/round tomatoes)
1 large potato, cut into large cubes (precook but still firm)
2 tblsp. grape seed oil for frying
enough water to just cover chicken

Spices:
1 small stick cinnamon
4-6 cloves
5 tblsp. curry powder
5 tblsp. cold water

Blend rempah in food processor:
4-6 cloves garlic
4-6 slices fresh ginger
4-6 shallots (if you can’t get these, don’t worry, still good)

Directions:
1. You know the stir fry drill, heat your cast iron wok, squirt oil, fry onions. Set aside.
2. Clean wok, always start with a clean wok otherwise you’ll get a hard fond forming at the bottom of your wok and you won’t be able to “brown” anything.  Turn on low to medium heat. Fry rempah and dry spices (cinnamon stick and cloves) for a bit. Don’t let it burn. Add the curry paste and immediately add the chicken and onions. Use spatula and coat chicken and onions with the paste as best you can, don’t worry if it’s not completely all over.
3. Add just enough water but not completely cover chicken. Once the curry starts to boil, turn down heat to simmer. Time it takes to cook depends on quantity. At this time, add in tomato wedges and potatoes so they have time to absorb the curry flavor before you serve. Cook till chicken is tender.

  • Vegetables for Malaysian Chicken Curry
    Vegetables for Malaysian Chicken Curry.
  • Only 3 vegetables in Malaysian Chicken Curry
    Only 3 vegetables in Malaysian Chicken Curry
  • Fry Onions and set aside
    Fry Onions and set aside
  • Next, fry rempah
    Next, fry rempah
  • Use spatula to smear chicken with curry paste
    Use spatula to smear chicken with curry paste
  • Add in onions and tomatoes
    Add in onions and tomatoes and put lid on.
Last, add potatoes in to absorb curry flavors.
Last, add potatoes in to absorb curry flavors.
Malaysian Chicken Curry bowl
Malaysian Chicken Curry bowl

Disclosure:
When you click on these affiliate links, I will get a tiny commission. I chose these products to help you be a Wok Star!

Get Baba’s curry powder

Filed Under: "one dish wok meals", blog, cast iron wok, chicken, curry Tagged With: "one dish meals", "Chicken Curry", "Malaysian Chicken Curry", cast iron wok, curry, spicy

How to Make Perfect Fried Rice!

January 11, 2009 By Eleanor Hoh 1 Comment

Forces have aligned to make this an auspicious year for accomplishing resolutions! Here’s greeting the Year of the Ox with Kung Hei Fat Choy, which means good luck, prosperity and longevity. The Year of the Ox, begins Monday, January 26, 2009 and signifies a time to sweep away old habits and start anew. What better way than to jumpstart the process with a healthy, easy and delicious Pineapple Fried Rice using my simple stir fry technique.
Some of my fondest childhood memories of growing up in Hong Kong include the rituals, ceremonies and foods during Chinese New Year’s two week celebrations. Many traditional dishes are served because they symbolize good luck like uncut noodles represent long life, dumplings represent good luck packaged inside, and fried rice signifies prosperity. In Asia, fried rice is either an elegant banquet dish or a homestyle staple which uses leftovers. Fried rice is an all-time favorite Chinese dish in America and the most requested dish I get asked in my Wok Star Cooking Class. Even picky eaters and kids love it because it’s a one-dish wok meal combining tasty flavors, different textures and rainbow colors.
I realize it takes more than willpower to fulfill resolutions so to help make it happen, I’ve also got a video for Pineapple Fried Rice (a joint video project with Del Monte Fresh).  In this video, you’ll discover the simple secrets to achieving perfect fried rice. The most common complaints I hear are, “sticky” rice and “soupy” veggies, so it’s important to use the right wok and technique to guarantee success. And that’s why I put together a Wok Star Kit to demystify the art of stir frying with all the essentials to help you succeed.
Here’s the recipe but remember…
Create your own variations by substituting ingredients. That’s what being a Wok Star is all about!
What you’ll need
3/4 lb ham, cubed
4 cups day old, white rice, break up lumps
1 cup pineapple, cubed, save juice for sauce
1 red bell pepper, cubed
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 scallions, thin rounds
3 eggs with dash of San-J tamari
2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
2 slices fresh ginger, diced
2 1/2 tbsp. canola oil for frying
Sauce:
2-3 tbsp. San-J tamari
2 tsp. medium drinking sherry
dash of white pepper
Juice from pineapple
Directions:
Gather all prepped ingredients (including eggs and sauce) around wok. Here’s order for stir frying :
First, fry vegetables…Heat wok till you see a wisp of smoke (for cast iron woks only.) Add 1 tbsp. of oil, then add half of the diced garlic and ginger. Add vegetables and pineapple, stir fry quickly. Add scallions at the very end so they don’t overcook. Remove ingredients and put them on a serving platter.
Next, fry eggs…Heat wok till hot, add 1/2 tbsp. oil, add the eggs and scramble, keeping the eggs soft (use low heat so they don’t overcook). Set aside with veggies. If wok has eggs stuck to it, wash out and dry.
Then fry rice and ham…Heat wok till hot, add 1 tbsp. oil, add garlic and ginger, then add rice and ham. Warm thoroughly. Add vegetables, then sauce, and combine thoroughly by stir frying. Last, add eggs and break up as you mix but don’t overcook them. They should remain soft and fluffy.
Pineapple is what makes this Fried Rice so special and sweet. Enjoy!…
This new year, instead of being a spectator watching chefs cook on television or being a passive diner, my mantra is ANYONE can be a Wok Star and make healthy, tasty, sizzling, wok creations right in your own home! Wok Stars agree my Kit is the solution to achieving their resolutions for longevity, prosperity and good luck.
You can find out more about Year of the Ox, predictions and horoscopes, celebrities and compatibility.
For a lot more about Chinese New Year traditions on what to eat, wear and how to decorate your home.
You can also subscribe in right sidebar to my FREE newsletter focusing on meal ideas, resources, tips and techniques and where to eat good Asian food and beyond.
Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Filed Under: "fried rice", "one dish wok meal", Chinese New Year Tagged With: "Chinese food", "fried rice", "one dish meals", "wok cooking", stir fry, tips

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