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Spicy Malaysian Tomato Chicken Curry (Ayam Masak Merah)

Category: Main Dishes

Serves: 4 people

Preparing time: 00:40

Cooking time: 00:40

Ingredients

8 each chicken thighs

2 tbsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp salt

4 tbsp vegetable oil

10 each dried chillies, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes

1 each red onion, roughly chopped

3 each garlic cloves

20g fresh ginger, roughly chopped

15g fresh galangal, roughly chopped

3 each lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped

2 each whole star anise

2 inch piece of cinnamon

2 each cardamom pods

400g tinned chopped tomatoes

400ml coconut milk

3 each large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Cooking Method

Step 1

Rub the chicken thighs with the turmeric and salt and leave to marinade for 30 minutes.

Step 2

In a food processor or blender add the red onion, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass and soaked chillies. Blitz into a paste; it doesn’t need to be completely smooth.

Step 3

Heat a wok or large saucepan over a medium heat and add 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Fry the chicken thighs in batches for 3-4 minutes until they are evenly browned and then keep to the side.

Step 4

Add the remaining 2 tbsp vegetable oil to the wok and fry the star anise, cinnamon and cardamom pods for 30 seconds or until fragrant, being careful not to let them burn.

Step 5

Add the paste to the toasted spices and lower the heat. Simmer the paste until you can see the oils starting to separate from the paste. Then add the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk to the pan and turn up the heat to medium to bring to the boil.

Step 6

Add the chicken thighs back to the pan along with the potatoes and then lower the heat so that the curry gently simmers. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through.

Step 7

Serve piping hot and garnish with coriander just before serving.

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