How to cook Malaysian Curry Chicken Kapitan Recipe

Curry Chicken Kapitan is a typical Malaysian Peranakan also known as Nonya dish with its origin from Penang. Peranakan is a fusion of Malay and Chinese dishes with the extensive use of aromatic herbs and spices such as lemongrass, shrimp paste, candlenuts, pandan leaves, chillies, tamarind paste and coconut milk .

The Peranakan Curry Chicken Kapitan is different from other curries as it has a milder taste compared to Malay or Indian curries. It has a distinct Nonya flavor of sweet and sour taste of lime juice, lemon grass (serai), kaffir lime leaves and candle nuts (buah keras). It also uses coconut cream (you can change this to milk). This dish can be enjoyed with white rice, turmeric glutinous rice, bread or roti jala. This dish is always served in Chinese weddings in Penang. There are various versions; some use tamarind rind instead of lime juice, some add dry dessicated coconut. I have this version from my mother who was a typical Penang Peranakan.

Ingredients

· 1.5kg chicken cut into bite size

· 2 tins coconut milk (or I coconut made into I cup thick and 2 cups thin coconut milk)

· Juice of 2 limes

· 2 calamansi lime leaves (you can use pandan leaves as substitute if you do not have    calamansi lime leaves.)

· 2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots (fried till golden brown and set aside for garnishing)

· 2 shallots sliced finely

· 4 tablespoon oil

· 2 lemon grass flattened to get the aroma

· I cinnamon bark (put it whole in the curry while cooking to enhance the flavor)

· Salt and sugar to taste

Grind into a paste

· I inch fresh turmeric (or 2 teaspoon turmeric powder)

· 4 lemon grass

· 2 inch galangal (lengkuas)

· 8 candle nuts (buah keras) you can replace with almonds or macadamia nuts

· 10 shallots or small onions

· 5 garlic

· 5 red chillies and 10 dried chilli (soaked in warm water, seeded and washed before use)

· Half teaspoon shrimp paste

· 2 tablespoon curry powder

Method

1. Season chicken with turmeric powder for 30 mins and deep fry for 3 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat oil, saute the sliced shallots.
3. Add the ground paste, stir until aromatic and brownish. See the oil floats on top.
4. Add in the chicken pieces, crushed lemon grass, cinnamon.
5. Add in thin coconut milk, sugar, salt season to taste, stir thoroughly. Let it boil .
6. Simmer for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender and sauce has reduced and thickened slightly .
7. Finally add the thick coconut milk and calamansi leaves.
8. Add the lime juice, simmer for 1 minute.
9. Garnish with fried shallots and mint leaves, and serve with white rice, turmeric glutinous rice, bread or roti jala.