Kapitan Chicken
This Malay Chicken curry recipe differs in fundamental ways from what people may be accustomed. In fact and practice, it is more like a slimline sweet-sour Malay Chicken Kapitan curry. This is for reasons of convenience, availability of ingredients and the need to cut down on unwanted calories. It is rather sad that Malay curries also tend to be too high on both calories and cholesterol. So, I have made some amendments to reduce both significantly in a more health-conscious era.
The Malay Chicken Kapitan has a bit of the same flavour as my father’s favorite Hot-Sour soup from northern China! The sour taste comes in the soup from vinegar, while the curry just just uses lemon / lime, kaffir leaves and ginger for a sophisticated sweet-sour mix. I have tended to remove coconut milk, sugar and salt from the restaurant version as a concession to a healthier diet. When I have a cold, I am wont to take a hot curry once a day or twice to raise the body heat and to unblock my nose. On any other day, just reheat, serve and enjoy with family and friends!
Main Ingredients
800g chicken fillets, skin on is great for added flavour, but it is rather fatty
200 cc coconut milk from a tin or packet – optional as it’s too many calories
5 kaffir lime leaves – if your shop has them in stock
2 onions diced fine in small bits
5 tbsp sunflower oil for frying
half tin finely chopped tomato paste or passata
1 lemon or 2 limes, sliced thick
3 sticks serei (lemongrass), batter with a knife handle
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped very small
1 large carrot cut into small slices
5g fresh parsley or fresh coriander
Curry Paste
3 large fresh red chillies (or 3-5g dried chilli powder if not available)
30g fresh galangal (if you can buy it, else use common root ginger)
30g ginger, peeled then diced very small
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped small bits
20g fresh turmeric
20g coriander dried powder
Cooking Method
Chop then blend all the curry ingredients in an electric blender with 4-6 tbsp of water and mix until you get a smooth enough paste.
If you don’t have time- buy a good quality Malaysian or Thai curry paste – c 1 level tbsp.
Fry the diced onion in about 1 tbsp oil on high heat, then add garlic.
Store the mix in a bowl for a few minutes.
Chop the chicken fillets into small c 1cm cubes then shallow fry over a medium heat.
Fry until the chicken cubes are just beginning to brown and crisp over, 8-10 minutes.
Put 1-2 tbsp of oil in the pan and add the paste here.
You lightly cook the mix of chicken and paste for 2-3 minutes.
Add the already cooked onions, lemongrass, limes or lemon to the mix.
Now, add water with coconut milk (optional) and lime leaves.
If you are not using coconut milk, then add tomato paste or passata.
Cook for 15-20 minutes on mild heat.
At mid-point, add the carrots and let the saucepan cook, stirring now and then.
When the is cooked, switch and leave for 4 hours or next day.
Then, reheat the chicken until hot, about 10-15 minutes.
Serve on boiled white rice, with fresh parsley or fresh coriander as a garnish.
yen y. chong 