Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Malaysian Chicken Curry - How to Get That Authentic Malaysian Flavor

The key to great Malaysian food is to use the best ingredients. This tip applies to so many recipes. Look at Mexican cooking, for example. A lot of people assume that all Mexican food (and Malaysian food) is ultra spicy but this is untrue.

Mexicans love to use fresh produce and so do Malaysians. The best recipes are made with fresh produce, as well as good quality meal, poultry or fish, and the best chef in the world would find it tough to make an excellent recipe if he or she is only given poor quality ingredients to work with.

The following recipe is a great example of a top Malaysian dish because various fresh ingredients are used to give it a wonderful taste. The chicken is combined with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and garlic to make a healthy meal, and then more flavor is added by using paprika, chili, cumin, curry powder, cilantro, coconut milk, and a bay leaf. This combination of herbs and spices gives the dish an authentic Malaysian flavor and keeps it nutritious as well as very flavorful.

How to Adapt Malaysian Recipes
You can adapt recipes like this Malaysian chicken curry if you want to. Even if you are relatively new to the world of international recipes, adapting them is not difficult. For example, why not leave the spices and seasonings as they are but change the vegetables? Use half a pound of regular potatoes and half a pound of sweet potatoes for a sweeter flavor. Swap one of the onions for some thin slices of broccoli or zucchini if you want to.

Changes like this will not affect the balanced taste of the dish but it will add extra color and flavor to it and it will also allow to you use up any vegetables you want to get rid of which are past their prime.
If you prefer a spicier dish, you can increase the amount of curry powder and chili powder but bear in mind that not everybody likes hot food so it might be best to make the recipe as it is and then just add some extra chili to yours at the table.

The Recipe - Step by Step
What you will need:
  • 1 chicken, cut into parts
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 chopped onions
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 lb peeled, chopped potatoes
  • 3 chopped cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 2 chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
How to make it:
Heat the oil in a pot and saute the garlic and onion for one minute. Add the chicken and cook for three minutes more. Add the spices and stir the mixture well. Add the potatoes and let the dish cook until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through. Add everything else, adjust the seasoning, and serve the curry over steamed or boiled rice.

Chicken is an economical ingredient and its mild flavor makes it really versatile. You can make all kinds of tempting dishes with this ingredient, from easy chicken salad recipes to a delicious baked chicken rice recipe.
BonelessChickenRecipe.com - Chicken so delightfully moist, you can almost smell it through your monitor.

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