This article is about preparing Malaysian curry chicken, which I’ve served for many years in my restaurant. This curry chicken has become incredibly popular and is always in demand from our customers. We’ve never shared our recipe before, but I’ve decided to share it today because it’s so delicious that I can’t keep it to myself.

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🛒Ingredients needed for the Malaysian Curry Chicken

• Chicken. This recipe originally calls for using chicken thighs with the bone in. While you can use chicken breasts or any other part of the chicken, the result won’t be the same. Chicken thighs are dark meat and flavorful with a higher fat content, which helps them stay tender and moist even if they’re accidentally simmered for too long or cooked over high heat. Besides, cooking chicken on the bone releases the marrow’s flavor, enhancing the dish’s overall taste.
• Marinate. I marinate the chicken with cornstarch and light soy sauce. This method may not be traditional among the Malay, but adding light soy sauce improves the flavor. I’ll then set it aside for at least half a day before cooking to ensure the chicken fully absorbs the soy sauce.
• Curry paste. I made a curry paste using an electric blender by blending chopped onion, red chili, and ginger with vegetable oil. I didn’t need to add water because the oil acted as the medium for blending.
• Lemongrass. You can choose between two options for including the lemongrass in the recipe. Option one is to finely chop the lemongrass and add it to the onion, ginger, and chili to blend as part of the curry paste. Option two is to bash the lemongrass, throw it into the gravy, and cook it together. Both methods will add the flavor of lemongrass to the gravy.
• Potatoes. Cut the potatoes into pieces slightly over one inch in length. If you’re not using them immediately, soak the potatoes in water to prevent oxidation, which can cause discoloration.
• Curry powder + seasonings. Other ingredients required are curry paste, chili powder, salt, sugar, and coconut cream. I used the store-bought Malaysian curry powder today. When I worked in the restaurant, I used half of the store-bought Malaysian-style curry powder and half homemade curry powder to create a unique flavor for our curry chicken. However, if you cook at home, I suggest using only the store-bought curry powder to save time. Although there will be a slight difference in taste, I believe the time saved by using the branded curry powder at home outweighs the difference in flavor. Also, include some Kashmiri chili powder. This item can be optional, as it depends on the level of spiciness you prefer.
• Coconut cream. The last item on the list is the coconut cream. I used fresh coconut cream purchased from the market. Coconut cream is sensitive to temperature and will spoil within a day if left at room temperature during summer. The best way to keep it is to put it in a plastic bag or an airtight, freezer-safe container. Doing so allows you to store the freshly pressed coconut cream in the freezer for up to two months. You can use the boxed or canned version if you cannot obtain fresh coconut cream. Please ensure that the coconut cream is meant for cooking and not the coconut milk for drinking, as there is a significant difference in composition.

👉 How to cook the Malaysian Curry Chicken?

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to prepare Malaysian-style chicken curry.

1. Clean the chicken, leaving the skin on and the bone in. Cut the chicken into large chunks. Pat the chicken dry and marinate with light soy sauce and cornstarch for at least half a day.

2. Use an electric blender to blend the chili, ginger, and onion with the vegetable oil until smooth.

3. Cut the potato into large wedges, about one to two inches long. After that, deep fry the potatoes and chicken until the surface turns golden. Set aside.

4. Put the blended curry paste into a wok or a large skillet. Cook the curry paste over medium heat until it reduces volume and becomes very dry. Next, add the curry powder, chili powder, and lemongrass to the wok. Add enough water to form a paste.

5. Season the curry gravy with salt and sugar. Return the deep-fried chicken to the wok or large skillet and mix well with the gravy. Add the curry leaves and bashed lemongrass. Halfway through cooking the chicken, add the fried potatoes.

6. The last ingredient to be added is the coconut cream. After adding the coconut cream, simmer the gravy to the desired consistency.

7. Finally, taste the curry to check for more salt and sugar. Use a kitchen thermometer to test if the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken curry from the wok when ready to serve.

💡Tips and notes for the best curry

1. Our method to prepare the chicken and the potatoes before simmering is to deep-fry them. Start by deep-frying the potatoes in some oil until they are golden brown. Then, remove them from the oil, add the chicken, and deep-fry until golden brown. It’s unnecessary to cook the chicken fully because it will be cooked again later. Deep-frying these two items provides them with better flavor. Also, potatoes that have already been deep-fried require a much shorter time to cook through.
2. No additional oil (besides those used for blending the chili and others) is necessary because the blended curry paste contains sufficient oil. When the volume of the curry paste is reduced by half during cooking, it will become very fragrant.
3. To prepare the lemongrass: Remove the green section, the base, and the outer layer of the lemongrass. Bash the lemongrass with a knife’s blunt side to release its flavor quickly into the gravy while simmering.

🆒 How to store the curry chicken?

You can store the Malaysian curry chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will be good for at least two days. However, if you intend to keep it longer than that, please put it in a freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer. After frozen, it should be good for at least two weeks. I find that the flavor will start to change after that. 

Please note that cooked potatoes are unsuitable to freeze, as their texture will change. Therefore, if you intend to keep the curry longer, do not add the potatoes to the curry during cooking. Instead, add the potatoes only when you reheat the curry before serving.

📜  Here are some other related recipes if you like Malaysian cuisine.

• Nasi Lemak is a typical Malaysian dish. You can find this coconut cream flavored rice in any Malaysian store down the street, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
• Rendang Tok is another typical Malaysian favorite. It is a beef recipe stewed with Malaysian spices, best served with plain rice or noodles.
• Nasi Goreng is another Malaysian dish combining traditional Chinese stir-fry with Malaysian spicy ingredients. Try this Malaysian fried rice.