Get your Nyonya on with this beautifully, coconutty braised chicken curry. A culinary culmination of Chinese, Malay and Indonesian flavours, Nyonya-style cooking is beloved for its wonderful fragrance and layered spice. Trust us on this one, your kitchen will take on the aroma of a Singaporean hawker market when you get this dish slowly going about its business. It may take two hours, but your input is only required for a small portion, making it the very definition of a winner, winner chicken dinner.
SERVES 4
Supplied Ingredients
4 sebago potatoes
4 chicken marylands
1 brown onion
2 garlic cloves
1 lemongrass stalk
2 tsp cumin seeds*
1 tbs Malaysian curry powder
60ml fish sauce
400ml coconut milk
300g jasmine rice
2 bunches broccolini
1 lime
*Extra supplied, measured amount
Pantry Ingredients
30ml (1½ tbs) vegetable oil
Equipment
6 litre ceramic slow cooked
Large frypan
Medium saucepan with lid
Large saucepan
STEP 1: BROWN CHICKEN
Cover slow cooker with lid and preheat on high. Cut potatoes in quarters and place in slow cooker. Heat oil in a frypan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt flakes and pepper, place skin-side down in pan and cook, in batches, if necessary, for 5 minutes or until golden on both sides. Turn and cook for a further 5 minutes or until golden on both sides. Remove from pan and place in slow cooker. While chicken is browning, continue with step 2.
STEP 2: PREPARE VEGETABLES
Peel onion and cut into thin wedges. Peel and slice garlic. Cut lemongrass into 10cm lengths and halve lengthways. Use the back of a knife to bruise lightly.
STEP 3: COOK ONION AND GARLIC
Add onion, garlic and cumin seeds to frypan. Add a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes or until starting to caramelise. Add Malaysian curry powder and stir to combine.
STEP 4: SIMMER CURRY
Add lemongrass, fish sauce, coconut milk and 250ml (1 cup) water to frypan and bring to a simmer. Transfer to slow cooker, making sure potatoes are submerged in the liquid. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4 and 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender and falling off the bone and potatoes are tender.
HEADS UP: For crispy skin, once cooked, place chicken on a foil-lined baking tray. Preheat oven grill to high and place under grill for 2–3 minutes or until skin is crisp.
STEP 5: COOK RICE
Place rice and 625ml (2½ cups) cold water in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside, covered, until ready to serve.
STEP 6: PLATE UP
Trim broccolini and cook in a saucepan of salted, boiling water for 3–4 minutes or until tender. Cut lime into wedges. Divide rice between plates, spoon over chicken and curry sauce and serve with lime wedges.
