← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken, bone-in, cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp Ground turmeric
• 2 tbsp Malaysian meat curry powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 6 Cloves
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 6 Dried chillies
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 4 tbsp Vegetable oil
• ½ tsp Mustard seeds
• 3 sprigs Curry leaves
• 2 Onion, sliced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 cm piece Ginger, minced
• 2 Green chilli, slit
• 1 Tomato, chopped
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro), chopped

Method

1. Rub the chicken with the turmeric, curry powder and salt and leave for at least 1 hour (or overnight in the fridge).
2. Dry-toast the whole spices and dried chillies in a pan over medium-low heat for 2–3 min until fragrant, then grind to a fine powder.
3. Heat the oil in a wide wok over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and, once they pop, the curry leaves, onion and green chillies. Fry for 6–8 min until the onion is golden.
4. Add the garlic and ginger for 1 min, then the tomato for 2–3 min until soft.
5. Add the chicken and half the ground spice and stir-fry over high heat for 5 min. Add a splash of water, cover and cook over medium heat for 12–15 min, stirring now and then, until cooked through (75°C/165°F).
6. Uncover, add the rest of the spice and fry over high heat for 5 min, stirring, until the juices dry up and the spices cling darkly to the chicken. Scatter coriander and serve.

Tips

• Varuval should be almost dry; keep frying until the oil runs clear around the pieces.
• Use less dried chilli for a milder version. Check your curry powder is wheat-free if you need it gluten-free.

Sources

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

Taste Asian Food Ajinomoto Malaysia