Malaysian Chicken Curry (Kari Ayam)
This rich and flavorful Malaysian Chicken Curry is made from scratch with a fragrant spice paste, bone-in chicken, and tender potatoes simmered in coconut milk. Comforting and beginner-friendly!
Ingredients
For the Spice Paste:
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 dried red chilies cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup warm water for soaking dried chilies
- 4 fresh red chilies cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup diced yellow onion or 6 small Asian shallots
- 5 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 inch fresh ginger or galangal
- 1 inch fresh turmeric or 2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 stalks lemongrass white parts only, sliced
- 3 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
For the Curry:
- ¼ cup cooking oil plus more as needed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 3 whole cloves
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1½ lbs chicken bone-in, cut into large pieces
- 3 yellow potatoes peeled and cut into large cubes
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 8-10 curry leaves optional
For Serving:
- Fresh cilantro and sliced red chili for garnish
- Rice, roti jala or white bread
Instructions
- Place the dried red chilies in a bowl with ½ cup of warm water. Let them soak for 15 minutes to soften.
- In a dry pan over low to medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and black peppercorns for 4–5 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to a spice grinder or food processor and blend until finely ground.
- Add soaked dried chilies (with soaking water), fresh red chilies, onion or shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, and candlenuts to the ground spices. Blend until smooth, adding a splash of water or oil if needed.
- In a wok or large pan, heat ¼ cup of oil over medium heat. Add the spice paste and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it darkens slightly and oil separates from the paste.
- Stir in the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, and cardamom pods. Add coconut milk and water; stir to combine.
- Add the chicken pieces to the curry and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
- Stir in potatoes, sugar, salt, and curry leaves (if using). Simmer partially covered for 15 minutes, then uncover and continue simmering for an additional 5 minutes, until the curry has thickened and the potatoes are tender.
- Garnish with cilantro and red chili. Serve hot with rice, roti jala, or plain white bread.
Notes
Make it your own: You can easily customize this curry with vegetables like eggplant, carrots, or okra. Just be sure to adjust cooking time so everything stays tender but not mushy.
Nutrition
Calories: 1820kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 197gSaturated Fat: 62gPolyunsaturated Fat: 40gMonounsaturated Fat: 86gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 1177mgPotassium: 229mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 90IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 3mg
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