Kurma Ayam (Chicken Kurma)

Traditional Malay Recipes, p. 10

1 chicken – 3 lb/1.5 kg (cleaned and cut into small pieces)

2 oz/60 g margarine

3 buah pelage/cardamoms

2 in/5 cm kayu manis/cinnamon

½ tsp jintan manis/sweet cumin

¾ cup sliced shallots

5 cloves garlic (sliced)

1 in/2.5 cm piece ginger (ground)

2 medium onions (sliced)

3 cups/750 ml thick santan or 1 can evaporated milk

Salt to taste

2 red chiles (split lengthwise)

2 green chiles (split lengthwise)

3 medium tomatoes (cut into wedges)

Juice of 1 lime

Ground Ingredients

3 tbsp ketumbar/coriander

2 tbsp lada putih/white peppercorns

2 ½ tbsp adas/fennel

2 tsp jintan putih/cumin

2 oz/60 g buah badam/cashew nuts

This was my very first time working with an entire chicken instead of pre-cut pieces.Turns out chickens are actually full of bones. And blood.

I couldn't believe that I was actually literally dismembering something.

But it had quite a bit of meat on it! I left the skin on, because this is a Malay recipe and a woman from Malaysia once told me that skin-on is really the only way to cook chicken.

Also: Happy choppins! :)

Heat margarine on medium flame and fry ground ingredients for 1 minutes. Put in whole dry spices and fry till fragrant.

Add shallots, garlic, ginger and onions. 

They get smaller, I promise.

Fry till soft, then add chicken and coat well with the mixture.

Mix in santan or evaporated milk and salt to taste. Bring mixture to the boil, then reduce heat. Simmer covered 5 minutes.

You can SEE the flavor!

Add chillies and cook uncovered till chicken is almost done, stirring occasionally. Put in tomatoes and cook till done. Remove from flame.

The tomatoes are a wonderful accent to this dish.

Mix in lime juice and adjust seasoning. Dish up and serve hot with boiled white rice. 

Hawt!

My Rating: 4/5 "I loved this. The flavor blend is delicious, and the meat gets really, really tender. My partner pointed out that he would have liked the flavors to cook into the chicken itself more instead of just coating it, and that he wished the sauce was more liquid so it would merge with the rice better. All of that said, this is quality stuff."