Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Hong Kong-style Curry Chicken with Potatoes
港式咖喱薯仔雞
Recipe overview
Hong Kong-style Curry Chicken with Potatoes is a mild family braise with a rich sauce. Mild curry powder is gently fried before onion, chicken stock, and coconut milk are added, making a fragrant, lightly sweet sauce without strong heat. Boneless chicken thigh stays tender, while potatoes and carrots absorb the sauce and are easy to eat. Brown the chicken first, cut the potatoes evenly, and add shaken coconut milk only near the end over low heat. The finished chicken should be cooked through and tender, the potatoes fork-tender but intact, and the curry smooth rather than split. This recipe is not suitable as written for people with coconut-product allergies.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 600 g Boneless chicken thigh (Trim excess fat and cut into roughly 4 cm pieces of similar size)
- 450 g Potatoes (About 3 medium potatoes; peel, cut into roughly 3 cm chunks, rinse off surface starch quickly, then drain)
- 1, about 180 g Onion (Peel and cut into thick strips)
- 150 g Carrot (Peel and cut into roughly 2 cm rolling chunks)
- 3 cloves Garlic (Peel and mince finely)
- 15 g Ginger (Peel and slice thinly)
- 200 ml Coconut milk (Use unsweetened coconut milk; shake before adding and do not use a sweet coconut drink)
- 300 ml Unsalted chicken stock (For braising; reduce other salty seasonings if using salted stock)
Chicken marinade
- 1 teaspoon Light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (Omit for a children’s version or when alcohol is not used)
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon Sesame oil
Curry seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Mild curry powder (Use a chilli-free or low-heat curry powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground turmeric (Optional, for colour)
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Light soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt (Omit first when using salted stock; taste before deciding at the end)
Oil for frying and sautéing
- 1 tablespoon Cooking oil
02
Tools
- Chinese wok, deep frying pan, or heavy-bottomed pot
- Chinese wok, deep frying pan, or heavy-bottomed pot
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Lid
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Measuring cup
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Vegetable peeler
- Tablespoon
- Teaspoon
- Kitchen paper towels
- Food tongs
- Fork
- Serving bowl
03
Steps
Step 1
Trim and cut the chicken
Lay the boneless chicken thigh on a board. Remove obvious yellow fat, blood spots, and tough sinew, then cut into pieces about 4 cm wide. Keep the thickness similar; separate very small scraps so they do not dry out while braising.
Step 2
Dry and marinate the chicken
Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper and put it in a large bowl. Add light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Toss gently with chopsticks or clean hands, then rest for 15 minutes. The marinade should make only a thin coating; do not add water.
Step 3
Prepare the potatoes
Peel and cut the potatoes into similar chunks about 3 cm wide. Rinse quickly to remove excess surface starch, drain in a colander at once, and pat away obvious moisture. Do not soak them for long or their flavour will become weak.
Step 4
Prepare the remaining ingredients
Peel and cut the onion into thick strips. Peel the carrot and cut it into roughly 2 cm rolling chunks. Mince the garlic and thinly slice the ginger. Keep everything separate so it can be added in the correct order.
Step 5
Mix the dry curry seasoning
Mix mild curry powder, ground turmeric, and sugar in a small bowl. Put the light soy sauce and salt in a second small bowl. Prepare the curry before heating the onion so nothing burns while ingredients are being measured.
Step 6
Brown the chicken
Heat the wok or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add half the cooking oil. Lay the chicken in one layer, leave it for about 1 minute before turning, then cook until all sides change from pink to white with a little golden colour. It does not need to be fully cooked; set it aside.
Step 7
Brown the potatoes
Add the remaining oil to the same pot and stir-fry the dried potatoes over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Their surfaces should be lightly golden with a thin crust while the centres remain raw. Add the carrot for about 1 minute, then set them aside or push them to the edge.
Step 8
Soften the onion, ginger, and garlic
Add the onion and ginger to the pot and cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent. Add the garlic for about 20 seconds, moving on as soon as it smells fragrant; do not brown it deeply.
Step 9
Bloom the curry over low heat
Turn the heat low and add the mixed curry powder, ground turmeric, and sugar. Stir continuously with a spatula for about 30 seconds until the powders coat the onion and oil and become fragrant. Do not let them blacken. If the pot is completely dry, add 1 tablespoon of chicken stock to loosen it.
Step 10
Add stock and braise
Return the chicken, potatoes, and carrot, tossing until coated with curry. Add 300 ml chicken stock, light soy sauce, and the planned salt. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, turn to low heat, and braise for about 15 minutes.
Step 11
Add coconut milk and cook through
Uncover, stir gently, and add the shaken coconut milk. Keep the heat low; do not let the curry boil violently. Cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes, turning gently twice, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are fork-tender but still intact.
Step 12
Reduce, taste, and serve
When the sauce naturally thickens enough to lightly coat the chicken and potatoes, lower the heat and taste. Decide whether a little salt is needed according to the stock; never add a large amount at once. If thin, simmer uncovered for 2 more minutes; if thick enough, turn off the heat, rest for 2 minutes, and transfer to the serving bowl.
Common mistakes
- Chicken pieces are very different sizes: Small pieces dry out first while large pieces may remain undercooked. Keep pieces around 4 cm; remove tiny pieces early or save them for another use.
- Marinating wet chicken: Surface water dilutes the marinade and makes chicken release a lot of liquid while browning. Pat it dry before seasoning.
- Cutting the potatoes too small: Small potato pieces break apart during braising and stirring, making the curry like mashed potato. Cut about 3 cm chunks and turn gently.
- Not drying rinsed potatoes: Wet potatoes can splatter in hot oil and will not form a light surface crust. Drain thoroughly and pat off visible water.
- Frying curry powder over high heat: Curry powder burns easily and turns bitter. Lower the heat before adding it and stir continuously.
- Cooking the chicken through at the start: It still needs to braise, so early full cooking makes it dry and firm. Initially cook only until the surface changes colour and turns lightly golden.
- Adding coconut milk too early: Long, hot boiling can split coconut milk and weaken its aroma. Braise potatoes nearly tender in stock first, then add it near the end.
- Boiling hard after adding coconut milk: A vigorous boil can split the sauce and leave an oil layer on top. Keep the heat low so it only bubbles gently.
- Stirring hard and often: Softening potatoes are easily crushed by a spatula. After coconut milk is added, lift gently from the bottom instead of stirring constantly.
- Adding full salt without considering the stock: Salted stock plus soy sauce can make the dish too salty. Use unsalted stock where possible and adjust only after tasting.
- Using a cornstarch slurry for a thin sauce: It makes the curry unnaturally gluey. Reduce uncovered over low heat and let potato starch thicken it naturally.
Tips
Boneless chicken thigh is more tender than chicken breast and easier for children to eat. Choose mild or non-spicy curry powder; do not accidentally use hot curry powder. Cut potatoes and chicken to similar sizes so they finish cooking together. Prepare every ingredient before curry powder goes into the pot to prevent burning. If there is no Shaoxing wine, simply omit it; do not replace it with water. Shake coconut milk first; separation in an opened can is normal. After adding coconut milk, cook only over low heat and do not cover for a hard boil. For children, use no chilli or chilli sauce and reduce curry powder to 1 1/2 tablespoons. With salted chicken stock, omit the salt in the curry seasoning first and adjust after tasting. Curry thickens more as it cools, so leave a little flow in the sauce when turning off the heat. Reheat leftovers gently with a little chicken stock if needed, not a large amount of extra coconut milk.
