Malay-style Chicken & Vegetable Curry

This curry is a great way to turn fresh or frozen chicken pieces into a really interesting meal. I quite like having quite a bit of liquid at the end — it soaks deliciously into rice when served, but if you want it thicker, cook it uncovered for 5–10 minutes before you add the vegetables and the sauce will thicken up.

For 4 servings:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1kg chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs or nibbles)

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh ginger

1 Tbsp curry powder (mild or hot)*

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 Tbsp light soy sauce

3/4 cup coconut cream

3–4 small potatoes, quartered

1/2 cup water

1–2 cups green vegetables (frozen peas or beans, broccoli, zucchini, etc)

salt and pepper to taste

1–2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander, optional

*You can vary the ‘hotness’ by using hot or mild curry powder (most supermarkets now have both).

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan with a close-fitting lid, then add the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Peel and roughly chop the onion, then place it in a blender or food processor with the garlic and ginger. Process until you have a smoothish paste. Add the curry powder, turmeric, soy sauce and coconut cream, then process again.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat over a medium to high heat. Add the paste mixture and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken, quartered potatoes and water to the paste. Bring the mixture to the boil then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 25–30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.

If you want a thicker sauce, remove the lid and cook for 5–10 minutes before adding the vegetables, otherwise run frozen vegetables under hot water until thawed, or cut fresh vegetables into bite-sized pieces, then add these to the curry mixture, cover again and cook for a further 5–10 minutes until the vegetables ready.

Serve over plenty of steamed rice with a salad on the side, if you like. If you can find them at your supermarket, fresh or frozen naan bread or roti also make a delicious accompaniment.

Photography: Lindsay Keats