Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Malaysian chicken curry
Malaysia’s everyday chicken curry, cooked in Malay homes and Mamak (Indian Muslim) restaurants alike: chicken and potatoes in a paste of meat curry powder, with coconut milk, curry leaves and star anise.
Same steps, different flavour base MediumToo hot for you? Use half the chilli (powder, paste or fresh chillies) and leave out the green chillies.
Recipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.
This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Malaysian chicken curry. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.
Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Malaysian chicken curry
See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map
The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.
Main ingredient: 1 kg Chicken on the bone, in pieces.
Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.
Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.
Malaysian chicken curry: do thisBlend the onions or shallots with garlic and ginger into a paste; keep a few green chillies whole.
Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Malaysian chicken curry: do thisFry curry leaves, star anise and the whole spices (step B) in oil, then add the paste and fry for about 4 minutes.
Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.
Malaysian chicken curry: do thisUse the chicken, plus potato chunks.
Base step: do not useAdd them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Malaysian chicken curry: do thisAdd the chicken and potatoes and stir to coat them in the paste.
Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.
Malaysian chicken curry: do thisInstead of chilli powder, add 3–4 spoons of meat curry powder mixed with a little water to a thick paste; keep a little turmeric.
Base step: do not useKeep frying until just before they start browning.
Malaysian chicken curry: do thisFry until the oil splits out (“pecah minyak”).
Base step: do not useAdd some water.
Malaysian chicken curry: do thisAdd thin coconut milk or water.
Add salt.
Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.
Malaysian chicken curry: do thisSimmer until the chicken and potatoes are cooked, then stir in thick coconut milk and simmer 2–3 minutes more.
Serve: With rice, roti canai or bread.
For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.
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