← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks), skin on, slashed to the bone
• 6 Shallot
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 3 cm piece Ginger
• 3 cm piece Galangal
• 3 sticks lemongrass stalks, white part only, sliced
• 2 tsp Ground turmeric
• 2 tsp Chilli powder
• 1 tbsp Ground coriander
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp ground fennel
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 3 tbsp Rice flour
• 1 tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 4 sprigs Curry leaves
• 1 l oil, for deep-frying

Method

1. Blend the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal and lemongrass to a fine paste. Mix in the turmeric, chilli powder, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt and sugar.
2. Rub the paste deep into the chicken slashes, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
3. Sprinkle the rice flour and cornflour over the chicken and toss so everything is coated in a thick, sticky layer.
4. Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan to 170°C (340°F). Fry the chicken in batches for 12–14 min, turning now and then, until deep golden and the thickest piece reads 75°C (165°F) by the bone.
5. In the last 2 min of the final batch, add the curry leaves and any marinade scraped from the bowl; they fry into crispy, spiced crumbs.
6. Drain everything on a rack. Scatter the crispy bits and curry leaves over the chicken and serve with nasi lemak or plain rice and sambal.

Tips

• Keep the oil steady around 170°C: hotter and the spice paste burns before the meat is cooked through.
• The crunchy fried marinade (the best part) only forms if you leave some paste clinging to the chicken, so do not wipe it off.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Nomadette Huang Kitchen