Recipe Notes:

• You could substitute chicken drumsticks with chicken thighs if you prefer.

• You could substitute candle nuts with cashew nuts whichever is available.

• You could substitute gula melaka with brown sugar if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS FOR KAPITAN CHICKEN CURRY

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(Serves 4-6 peoples)

✅️ 6 whole Chicken Drumsticks

✅️ 1 Tbsp Turmeric Powder

✅️ 1 Tsp Salt (for marinate)

✅️ 500 ml Coconut Milk

✅️ 3 Pcs Potatoes (each weight ±140g)

✅️ 2 Pcs Lime (each weight ±60g)

✅️ 5 Pcs Kaffir Lime Leaves

✅️ 2 Stalk Lemongrass

✅️ 5 Pcs Candle Nuts

✅️ 1 Bulb Red Onion, peeled

✅️ ±40 g Galangal

✅️ ±30 g Turmeric

✅️ 7 Pcs Red Chilies

✅️ 7 Cloves Garlic, peeled

✅️ ±20 g Roasted Dried Shrimp

✅️ 20 g Gula Melaka

✅️ ¼ Tsp Salt (for seasoning)

✅️ 500 ml Cooking Oil (for frying)

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

1. Coat chicken drumsticks with salt and turmeric powder mixture generously. Keep the bowl in the refrigerator to marinate the chicken drumsticks for 4 hours.

After 4 hours, remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator. Keep the bowl aside to let the chicken return to room temperature. Typically this will take about 30 mins.

2. Slice the kaffir lime leaves thinly and set them aside for now. 

Place a piece of baking paper to cover the chopping board. Grate the lime's skin to scrape the zest. Grate only the green part of the skin. The white part of the skin tastes bitter. Fold the lime zest on the baking paper and set them aside for now.

Prepare the lemongrass about 16cm long from the bottom and discard the rest. Bruise the lemongrass by lightly crushing them with a pestle. Set the bruised lemongrass aside for now.

Slice the red onion thinly and set them aside for now.

Slice the galangal thinly and set them aside for now.

Remove and discard the top green part of the red chilies. Remove and discard the seeds of the red chilies. Transfer the prepared red chilies into the mortar. Add the garlic, turmeric, sliced galangal and candle nuts to the mortar.  Pound the mixture thoroughly into a paste then keep them aside for now.

3. Cut the peeled potatoes into halves vertically. Heat the cooking oil in a pan over HIGH heat until it is hot. Dip a wooden chopstick into the oil. The oil is hot when it starts bubbling steadily. Fry the potatoes until they are golden in color.

Transfer the fried potato into a bowl and set them aside for now. Fry the chicken for about 5 mins on each side to brown its skin.

Transfer the fried chicken into a bowl. Don't worry if the chicken is not cooked through for now.

4. Reduce heat to LOW then remove the oil from the pan leaving about 100ml in the pan. Add the sliced red onion prepared earlier to the pan. Stir fry the red onion over HIGH heat until they turn golden in colour.

Add the pounded mixture prepared earlier together with the roasted dried shrimp to the pan. Stir fry the mixture together over MEDIUM heat until they are slightly dry. The dark rich colour of the mixture will contribute to the beautiful deep colour of the curry.

Add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and lime zest prepared earlier to the pan. Stir the mixture briefly to mix well.

Add the lime juice to the pan. Stir the mixture briefly to mix well.

Add the coconut milk to the pan. Reduce heat to LOW. Stir the mixture until they are mixed thoroughly.

Add the fried chicken prepared earlier to the pan. Flip the chicken to coat well with the mixture. Add the fried potatoes to the pan. Cover the pan with its lid. Simmer the chicken over LOW heat until they are cooked through. Typically about 30 mins. Shake the pan every 5 mins to avoid the bottom from burning until the chicken are ready.

5. After 30 mins

Carefully remove the pan's lid. The chicken should now be tender and cooked through. Add water to the pan if a thinner gravy consistency is preferred. Season with salt and gula melaka.

RECIPE PHOTO GALLERY