Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Malaysian Nyonya Chicken Kapitan

Name: Malaysian Nyonya Chicken Kapitan
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 800 g chicken thighs; 300 ml coconut milk; 2 stalks lemongrass; 1 piece lime; 8 pieces shallots; 4 cloves garlic; 4 pieces dried chillies; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp shrimp paste; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 200 ml water; 1 tsp salt

娘惹甲必丹雞

Malaysian Nyonya Chicken Kapitan — finished dish

Total time: 70 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Nyonya spice paste and coconut milk make a rich chicken curry.

Ingredients

Main ingredients

800 g chicken thighs
300 ml coconut milk
2 stalks lemongrass
1 piece lime

Nyonya spice paste

8 pieces shallots
4 cloves garlic
4 pieces dried chillies
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp shrimp paste

Cooking sauce

2 tbsp neutral oil
200 ml water
1 tsp salt

Malaysian Nyonya Chicken Kapitan — ingredients

Tools

knife
board
blender
deep pan
lid
food thermometer

Steps

Step 1

Soak dried chillies until soft and drain

Soak dried chillies until soft and drain. Change the water until visible grit is gone, then drain completely.

Step 2

Pat chicken dry and cut into large pieces

Pat chicken dry and cut into large pieces. Remove visible surface moisture and clean the board after handling raw meat.

Step 3

Blend shallots, garlic, chilli and shrimp paste

Blend shallots, garlic, chilli and shrimp paste. Pound to an even coarse paste without large pieces of garlic or chilli.

Step 4

Bruise lemongrass and juice the lime

Bruise lemongrass and juice the lime. Remove seeds as you squeeze so they do not fall into the food.

Step 5

Fry paste in oil about five minutes

Fry paste in oil about five minutes. Stir across the pan base until fragrant, without letting the paste blacken.

Step 6

Stir in turmeric and lemongrass

Stir in turmeric and lemongrass. Distribute it around the pan and stir once gently for even heating.

Step 7

Coat chicken until the outside changes colour

Coat chicken until the outside changes colour. Colour both surfaces now; finish cooking the centre in the later step.

Step 8

Add coconut milk and water; bring to gentle simmer

Add coconut milk and water; bring to gentle simmer. Lower the heat until only small bubbles rise steadily; avoid a hard boil.

Step 9

Cover and simmer for twenty-five minutes

Cover and simmer for twenty-five minutes. Time the covered cooking from this point and keep the heat steady.

Step 10

Check chicken reaches 75°C in the thickest part

Check chicken reaches 75°C in the thickest part. Probe the thickest chicken piece; hold its centre at or above 75°C for 30 seconds, simmering longer if needed.