MALAYSIAN CHICKEN KORMA

Recipe Notes:

• You could substitute ground black pepper with ground white pepper if you prefer.

• You could substitute black cardamom with green cardamom if you prefer. Black cardamom has a stronger aroma than the green cardamom.

• You could use frozen galangal if fresh ones are not available.

INGREDIENTS FOR MALAYSIAN CHICKEN KORMA

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(Serves 4-6 peoples)

✅️ ±1.3 kg Chicken

✅️ 30 g Ground Coriander

✅️ 15 g Ground Cumin

✅️ 15 g Ground Fennel

✅️ 2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

✅️ 1 Cinnamon Quill

✅️ 3 pcs Black Cardamom

✅️ 1 Lime

✅️ 20 g Galangal

✅️ 6 Cloves Garlic

✅️ 3 Bulbs Shallots

✅️ 2 Green Chilies

✅️ 2 Red Chilies

✅️ 3 (±480 g) Potatoes 

✅️ 800 ml Coconut Milk

✅️ 500 ml Plain Water

✅️ 1½ tsp Salt

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

1. Add the chicken to a bowl. I choose 3 each of chicken drumstick, thigh and chicken wings without the tip. Add ground coriander, ground fennel, ground cumin, ground black pepper and salt to the bowl. Spread the mixture over the chicken pieces to coat generously. Leave the bowl on the benchtop to marinade the chicken in room temperature for 30 mins.

2. Zest the lime with a grater over a piece of baking paper. Keep the lime zest aside for now. Squeeze the lime to extract the juice from its flesh and keep the juice aside for now.

3. Chop the brown onion, galangal, garlic and shallots into mince then set them aside for now. Slit the red chilies and green chilies from the top to bottom. Carefully remove the seeds from its cavity then set them aside for now. Cut each potato into quarters then set them aside for now.

4. Add 400ml of coconut milk to a pan. A non-stick pan is preferred. Keep the remaining coconut milk for later. Bring coconut milk to a boil over LOW heat. Once the coconut milk is boiling increase heat to MEDIUM. Simmer the coconut milk until it is mostly evaporated and oil starts to separate. Stir the coconut milk until oil is totally separated. Add the chopped mixture prepared earlier to the pan. Stir fry the mixture until they are slightly drier and becoming brown in color. Add black cardamom and cinnamon quill to the pan. Stir the mixture for about 1 min. Add the marinated chicken pieces and the rest of the marinade mixture in the bowl to the pan. Stir the chicken in the pan for about 5 mins. Add plain water to the pan. Stir the chicken in the pan for about 1 min to mix well. Reduce heat to LOW and cover the pan with its lid. Simmer the chicken in the pan for about 15 mins.

5. After 15 mins. Carefully remove the hot pan lid. Stir the chicken in the pan briskly to avoid the bottom from burning. Add the quartered potatoes, red chilies and green chilies prepared earlier to the pan. Add the remaining coconut milk set aside earlier to the pan. Stir the mixture to mix well. Cover the pan with its lid. Simmer the chicken in the pan over MEDIUM to LOW heat for about 15 mins.

6. After 15 mins. Carefully remove the hot pan lid. Stir the chicken in the pan briskly to avoid the bottom from burning. Further simmer uncovered over MEDIUM heat until the potatoes are tender and the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Poke the potato pieces with a skewer to check for tenderness. Gravy should be thick but still runny. Thin the gravy with hot water if you find that it is too thick. Add the lime juice and zest prepared earlier to the pan. Stir the mixture briskly to mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning to suit individual tastes. Switch the heat OFF. The Malaysian Chicken Korma is now ready to be served.

7. Garnish generously with chopped coriander or fried shallot if preferred. The Malaysian Chicken Korma is best enjoy over a warm bed of rice, ketupat/compressed rice or fried noodle.

RECIPE PHOTO GALLERY