Curry Kapitan

Photo: flickr user avlxyz

Ingredients

This version of a Malaysian classic is both rich and subtle. Furthermore, with a food processor, it is quite simple to prepare.

Preparation

Disjoint a chicken, then chop the resulting pieces in half. In a food processor, process the flesh of half a small coconut to shreds. Toast it, stirring, in a dry frying pan until it is light brown. Return it to the processor and process it with 700 ml thin coconut milk. Set aside.

Wash the processor bowl and blade, and process to a paste 2 brown onions, 6 cloves garlic, 5 fresh red chillies, 2 cm ginger, 2 cm cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 tablespoons coriander, 2 teaspoons cummin, a pinch of mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon cardamom, 1 teaspoon turmeric and a 2 cm cube of blachan (dark, hardened shrimp paste). Juice a lemon.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil or copha (coconut fat) in a saucepan and fry the spice paste until it smells fragrant. Add the chicken pieces, the coconut mixture and the lemon juice and simmer without a lid for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Serve with rice and garnish with deep fried onion flakes.

Makes 4 servings.