Nyonya Chicken Curry Kapitan

Chicken Curry Kapitan (or Ayam Kapitan) originated in Penang, Malaysia, as a signature dish of the Peranakan (Straits-born Chinese) community, blending Chinese, Malay, Indian, and even Southeast Asian colonial influences.

It is rich and flavorful curry from Malaysia. It's very different from an Indian style curry and uses more Southeast Asian spices. The key to getting this curry right is making your own curry paste, and cooking until the oil separates.

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Prep Time 4

Cook Time 45

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Malaysian

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

6 Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless.
1 1/2 tsp ground Turmeric
2 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Oil
4 Tbsp Oil for browning the chicken.
Spice Paste:
200 g 7oz Onion or Shallots roughly chopped
4 Garlic cloves
2 inch piece of Ginger roughly chopped
1½ tsp ground Turmeric
3 Lemongrass stalks prepared, pounded and roughly chopped
7-8 dried Chilies soaked in hot water and roughly chopped
1 tsp Shrimp paste
Salt to taste.
3 Tbsp Oil
Seasoning:
3/4 cup canned chopped Tomatoes
2 tbsp Tamarind paste
2 tbsp dark brown Sugar
6 Makrut lime leaves
1 Cinnamon stick
1 cup Coconut milk

Equipment

Heavy Pot

Method

Mix the chicken thighs with the marinating ingredients, and allow it to marinate overnight or for at least four hours in the refrigerator. Combine all of your ingredients for your spice paste, and use a mini food processor to grind them into a fine paste. Set that aside.

Brown your chicken in the 4 tablespoons of oil until it is brown on both sides. That takes about three minutes per side. Then set the chicken inside and add your spice paste into the oil and cook it until the oil separates. This can be anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. Keep stirring, so you don’t burn the paste.Then add your tomatoes and other seasonings (except the coconut milk) and bring up to a simmer, add back your chicken and allow that to simmer gently for 15 minutes, add the coconut milk and allow to simmer for an additional five minutes. Serve with pandan rice.

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