Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

This really hit the spot with me tonight.  I don't cook with curry very often but after making this dish, I may have to change that.  All four of the adults who consumed this tonight had seconds.  Always a good sign.

Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 medium red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (By seeding the jalapeno you lose most of the heat but retain great flavor.)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

3 cups hot cooked rice

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place in medium bowl. Stir together curry, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and chili powder. Sprinkle over chicken, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.

In a large nonstick frying pan, stir onion, basil, garlic and peppers in hot oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add chicken and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink.

Combine coconut milk and cornstarch and whisk well to combine. Carefully add to skillet, whisking vigorously. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in ginger. Cook and stir for another minute. Serve over hot rice.

Pajeri nanas (pineapple curry)

It's been a while since I last posted a Malay recipe. This is what I made last week with opor ayam (creamy chicken). The pineapple was spicy, sharp and sweet, the chicken was mild and creamy, perfect match. This pineapple curry is one of my favourite curry, very tasty. If you like curry and sweet & sour this is for you.

Recipe is quite simple. All you need is a fresh pineapple** and some standard curry spices.

Ingredients:

Spice paste
about 125g shallot or red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 small chunk of ginger
1 heap tbsp dried shrimps*, soaked with a little water for few minutes, keep the soaking water
1 - 2 finger size red chilli

*vegetarian can leave out dried shrimps

about 800g fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

1 small piece of cinnamon or cassia bark
5 - 6 whole cloves
5 - 6 green cardamoms
2 whole star anise

3 tbsp curry powder (I used Malaysian meat curry powder - serbuk kari daging, you can use any reddish looking curry powder you have at home). If the curry powder is really hot use less
chilli powder (optional, if you like really spicy)
about 2 tsp paprika (not smoked), optional this will give the curry a reddish look without the spicy heat with extra chilli powder
1 tsp salt

about 1/4 cup or 5 - 6 tbsp of cooking oil, you can use less oil down to 2 - 3 tbsp this may not give you a reddish looking oil floating on the sauce which looks pleasing to the eye
some sugar (optional, add some if the pineapple is sharp)

about 4 tbsp coconut milk (optional, with or without coconut milk the curry is still very tasty, coconut milk gives a more rounded flavour)

2 - 3 tbsp kerisik*** (roasted fresh or dessicated coconut, then pounded or ground in a blender till fine)

water


*** Kerisik helps to thicken the sauce and also gives a nutty flavour. If you could not be bothered to make kerisik, can leave out curry still tastes very good.


Method:
Blend the spice paste ingredients till smooth with a mini blender, can add the dried shrimps soaking water to help blending.
Heat about 1/4 cup of oil in work then add whole spices stir for a while then add blended spice paste, curry powder, paprika and about 1 tsp salt, stir for few minutes till the paste has thickened and becoming very fragrant.
Add in the pineapple, give it a stir for about a minute.
Add enough hot water to nearly cover the pineapple, about 1 - 1.5 cup. If you like coconut milk add now. Let the liquid come to a rapid boil. Taste if you need more spicy heat, if yes add some chilli powder. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 - 18 minutes or till the sauce has reduced and thickened to the consistency you like. While simmering the sauce may spit, so best to put the lid on ajar so steam can escape helping the sauce to reduce.
When nearly done add kerisik.
Finally taste to see if you need sugar and/or more salt.
Nice serve hot or cold. Nice with plain rice or Malay turmeric rice. I had this with fresh bread lovely too.

This curry is also great with added chicken pieces (raw or cooked) or king prawns (shrimps). If using raw chicken pieces add at the beginning, for cooked chicken or prawns add at the last few minutes.

Creamy pumpkin and prawn curry

If you ask me what do I cook most, my answer will probably be Chinese and Malay food. I love the rich and aromatic Malay/Nyonya curries, salad, cakes and cookies. I can get most of the spices, herbs and other Malay ingredients over here to make almost anything I want, though many ingredients can be quite expensive over here than back home.

Today recipe is a Malay style pumpkin and prawn curry called masak lemak labu & udang, loosely translated as rich pumpkin with prawns. It is a creamy curry not too spicy hot.

Ingredients:

about 500g peeled and de-seeded pumpkin or butternut squash

200 - 250g raw king prawns/shrimps (I used frozen peeled raw prawns)

1 lemongrass

1 small sprig of curry leaves about 10 - 12 leaves, best use fresh or frozen

1  - 1.5 cup of coconut milk (I used tin, more coconut milk richer and creamier the gravy)

1 tbsp wet tamarind

sugar to taste

salt to taste

some cooking oil

Spice paste:

1 - 2 clove of garlic, peeled

3 walnut size shallots, peeled and cut into small pieces

1 - 3 large medium heat red chillies, de-seeded (as many and spicy as you like)

1 pinky finger size fresh or frozen turmeric root/ or 1 tsp of ground turmeric

1 thumbsize chunk of galangal, cut into small pieces

3 candle nuts (buah keras)

2 tsp belacan or shrimp paste

Method:

Soak wet tamarind with 1/2 cup of boiling water till softened then leave it to cool for a while then knead the pulp to release the juice. Pass this through a sieve to remove pulp and any seeds.

Blend all the paste ingredients till smooth using a mini blender. Can add a touch of water to ease blending. Or if you like you can pound the spices with a pestle and mortar.

Cut pumpkin into bitesize chunks.

Bruise the lemongrass by bashing with a cleaver or rolling pin. 

If using frozen peeled prawns, defrost before cooking. De-vein if required by lightly score the back of the prawn and rinse off dark vein. 

Heat wok or pan with about 3 - 5 tbsp of cooking oil till hot, add curry leaves and lemon grass fry till oil is fragrant. Add spice paste keep stirring for about 5 minutes till fragrant. 

Add coconut milk and pumpkin pieces, then add half the tamarind juice and enough water to almost cover the pumpkin pieces, turn up the heat and heat till liquid is boiling. 

Cover with a lid and simmer at lower heat till pumpkin is cooked through and softened, add more water during simmering if required the pumpkin will absorb the liquid quickly, keep the gravy runny. Add enough salt and sugar. Have a taste to check saltiness, sweetness and sharpness. If required add some or all the remaining tamarind juice. Everyone has their own personal taste. 

Add prawns and cook for 2 - 3 minutes till they turn pink. 

Curry chicken rice bake

Who doesn't like curry chicken with rice? This recipe is slightly different, it's east meets west. It's curried rice topped with a saucy chicken curry and cheese. This fusion (or bastardised if you prefer) curry chicken rice bake can be found in Hong Kong/ Macau cafe style restaurants 茶餐廳. I think Japanese also have similar recipe. Curry and cheese does not sound matching but this combination is really tasty. Once you have tried it you are likely to make this again. The rice can be replaced with macaroni it is equally yummy.

Here is my way of making this oriental curry chicken rice bake. I had something similar in Hong Kong but a bit more greasy I am quite sure the rice was stir fried before baking. My version is still quite rich but not as greasy as restaurant style.

Ingredients:

500 - 550g skinned and boned chicken (thigh, leg or breast), I prefer thigh more flavour and meat texture is nicer

1/2 - 1 tsp salt

2 cups rice, long grain or basmati

2 cups water or diluted chicken stock (if you like a softer rice add a bit more water)

1 tsp chicken bullion powder (omit if using chicken stock)

1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt

1 heap tsp curry powder (any kind)

1 large spanish onion, or two medium small onions

1 large or 2 small carrots

sweet peppers (bell pepper), different colours. I used 1/2 of three different colours.

some frozen pea (I did not have any, so omit)

1 heap tbsp curry paste (any kind like Japanese curry cube, Chinese curry paste, Thai, Malaysian or Indian), I used bought Thai red curry paste

1 cup coconut milk (I used tin/can coconut milk)

some sugar to taste

some salt to taste

few tbsp cooking oil

1 rounded tbsp cornflour mixed with 1/3 cup water

some mozerella cheese (shredded or grated), use more mozerella if you like a stringy cheese topping

some cheddar cheese (grated)

Method

Cut chicken into bite size. Mix with salt and leave aside for 30 mins to 1 hr.

Cut onion into small pieces. Dice carrot and sweet pepper. 

Put rice into a large sieve. Rinse and drain.

In a pan or wok, add a little oil. Heat then add 1/2 the onion and carrot, stir fried till onion is soften. Add curry powder stir till fragrant. Add water, stir. Heat off. 

Add rice into a saucepan. Add cooked carrot, onion with the liquid. Add some chicken bullion powder and some salt to taste. 

Heat and cook rice. When water is boiling turn the heat to lowest and let it simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes till water is completely absorbed and rice is cooked. Heat off and leave it covered and rest for another 10 - 15 minutes. 

In a wok or large pan, add few tbsp cooking oil. Heat till hot, add onion and stir till onion is softened. Add chicken, turn heat to high and fry chicken till browned. Add curry paste, stir till fragrant. Add sweet pepper and frozen peas. Add coconut milk and slackened cornflour. Cook till sauce is hot and thickened. Add some sugar and salt to taste.

 Loosen the rice. Put rice into oven proof dish in individual portions or spread this on a large baking dish. 

Add curry chicken on top of rice. 

Finally top with some mixed cheese.

Bake at 200 deg C till golden for about 15 minutes. If making this rice in advance, can leave in the fridge for few hours up to 2 days. To bake chilled rice, use lower heat and bake much longer till heated through.