NYONYA KARI KAY [CHICKEN CURRY]

This is one of the Nyonya recipes which I bookmarked and tried from Pearly Kee’s book ‘A Nyonya Inheritance’. Compared to the other Nyonya Chicken Curry recipes [other recipes], I found this one a simpler version. Even though it is simpler, this curry tasted good with more gravy which is  thick, flavourful, aromatic and tasty. I like the colour, taste and texture. Overall, it is nice with rice, bread or roti jala.
Notice that SALT is the only seasoning ingredient.

Recipe adapted from Pearly Kee’s book ‘A Nyonya Inheritance’ – slightly modified

Ingredients For Curry Paste

2 fresh red chillies – coarsely cut

10 dried chillies – soaked and coarsely cut *

1 stalk lemongrass – finely sliced

8 shallots – peeled and cut 

3 cloves garlic – coarsely cut 

• Grind the above ingredients together until fine [add 1-2 tbsp oil if it is too dry], then mix with the following ingredients. 

1 tbsp each of coriander powder, cumin powder and fennel powder 

½ tsp turmeric powder 

1 tbsp chilli powder [replace with* dried chillies]

Other Ingredients

600 gm chicken whole leg – cut bite size pieces

2-3 potatoes – peeled and cut wedges

1 piece 1 inch length cinnamon stick

1 small star anise

2 cloves

4-5 tbsp cooking oil

270 ml water + 90 ml thick coconut milk

1-1.5 tsp salt

1. Heat oil in a non-stick wok, sauté star anise, cloves and cinnamon stick with curry paste until aromatic and oil separates.
2. Add in chicken pieces and fry until they are firm and well coated with the curry paste. Stir fry until aromatic and add in potatoes. Stir to mix well, then add in the water.
3. Bring to boil, then cover to simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken and potatoes are tender and gravy reduced. 
4. Add in the thick coconut milk, salt and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
5. Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve warm in a small claypot, if preferred.

Pearly Kee’s Tips – Chicken Curry can be cooked and left overnight, just allow the curry to cool down before putting the lid on with a small gap.

See Pearly Kee's Other Recipe Below
Nyonya Mixed Vegetable Curry
Nyonya Sambal Udang With Buah Petai
Nyonya Hong Bak

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I am also submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event#27 - October 2015 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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NYONYA HONG BAK

One of the Nyonya recipes from Pearly Kee's book that I tried is this 'Hong Bak' dish. It turns out perfect in taste, texture and flavor. The sand ginger flavor is not too strong but the aroma is still noticeable.

I believe this Hong Bak will taste even better after resting for sometime. Quite similar to the earlier recipe [from Nyonya Flavours] which I used here. 

Cooking this dish isn't difficult if the spice paste is prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator until needed which was what I did.

It is a good recipe to use if you like to try Nyonya style braised pork belly with potatoes.   I like this recipe.

According to chef Pearly, a typical Hong Bak includes pork and potatoes with some other delicious variations such as duck with sweet potatoes or yam and chicken with potatoes.

Recipe adapted from Pearly Kee’s book ‘A Nyonya Inheritance’ [slightly modified]
Ingredients
Hong Bak Spice Paste
10 gm sand ginger [sar keong or cekur]
10 shallots [100 gm] shallots 
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp preserved soy bean paste [tau cheong]
3 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp white pepper powder
1 tsp nutmeg powder [I omit]

Other Ingredients
600 gm pork belly cut into bite size pieces
3-4 potatoes – peeled and cut into wedges [I used 2]
4 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dark soy sauce
600 – 750 ml water

1. Blend sand ginger, shallots, garlic and tau cheong into a paste, then add in the powder ingredients to mix.
2. Heat oil in a non-stick wok, sauté spice paste until aromatic over medium heat. Add in the pork pieces and keep frying until the meat is firm and half cooked.
3. Add in the potatoes, seasoning and water. Bring to boil the cover to simmer for about 40 minutes until pork pieces and potatoes and tender. Stirring occasionally to ensure the ingredients are evenly cooked.
4. Turn to high heat to thicken the gravy if preferred.
5. Taste to adjust seasoning.
6. Dish up to serve.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

See Pearly Kee's Other Recipe Below

Nyonya Mixed Vegetable Curry

Nyonya Sambal Udang With Buah Petai
Nyonya Kari Kay [Curry Chicken]

I am submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event#27 - October 2015 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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NYONYA SAMBAL UDANG WITH BUAH PETAI

This is another version of Nyonya Sambal Udang which is slightly different from my earlier post. For this recipe by Pearly Kee, it is a simpler version and you can prepare this sambal either semi dry or with gravy.

I have chosen to cook it semi dry and added some stinky beans [buah petai]. It is aromatic, spicy and tasty. The prawns and petai are crunchy and well coated with the dry sambal.  

The cooking method is also different from the earlier recipe . It is very straight forward [Step 2] where all the spice paste is fried together with oil and prawns, yet the sambal tasted good and the prawns aren't overcooked. Yummy, yummy with rice or coconut cream rice [Nasi Lemak].

Recipe adapted A Nyonya Inheritance by Pearly Kee [slight modifications]

Ingredients

600 gm medium size prawns – shelled

5 tbsp oil

1.5 tbsp sugar

1-1.5 tsp salt to taste 

Ingredients for the Spice Paste

8 dried chillies – soaked and coarsely chopped

4 fresh red chillies – seeded and coarsely chopped

100 gm shallots – peeled and coarsely chopped

1 tbsp toasted shrimp paste [belacan]

3 candlenuts [buah keras] – coarsely chopped

1 tsp turmeric powder [optional]

For Semi-dry Dish

Juice from 2 limes

For More Gravy

1 tbsp tamarind pulp mixed with 200 ml water – squeezed to obtain the tamarind water. Discard the pulp

1. Grind the spice ingredients in a blender until fine and mix in the turmeric powder [if using]. Set aside.

2. In a non-stick wok, without any heat, put in the oil, spice paste, prawns and seasoning. Stir well. Turn on to high heat and keep stirring until the mixture becomes dry and aromatic [about 10 minutes]. Keep stirring to prevent the paste from being burnt. 

3. When the bubbles are smaller and the prawns turned white and firm, add in the stinky beans, lime juice or tamarind water. Stir to mix well and cook for another 3 minutes.

4. Taste to adjust seasoning. Dish up to serve.

In Pearly’s book, she has shared some tips on the use of this recipe to prepare the sambal with other ingredients.

Pearly’s Tips – This is a very versatile dish. Instead of prawns you can use 10 hard boiled eggs or 20 hard boiled quail eggs or 600 gm squid. Add in the eggs or squid at Step 4. Squid always tastes better slightly undercooked. When the tentacles start to curl, it is time to turn off the heat.

Note - I have used this portion of sambal paste to cook with  3 different ingredients, prawns/petai, eggs and squid [ 1/3 portion].

See Other Pearly Kee's Recipes below

Nyonya Mixed Vegetable Curry
Nyonya Hong Bak [Stewed Pork]
Nyonya Kari Kay [Curry Chicken]

I am submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event#27 - October 2015 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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NYONYA MIXED VEGETABLE CURRY

This is another version of Nyonya Mixed Vegetable Curry which I tried. This recipe is from Pearly Kee’s book ‘A Nyonya Inheritance’.

The ingredients are slightly different from my usual way of cooking Mixed Vegetable Curry. However, Nyonya cooking is rather versatile according to Pearly. This dish can be transformed into a prawn and vegetable curry by just adding some prawns.

Anyway, this curry is tasty, spicy and thick. The kind of curry which I like. It is good to serve with steaming hot rice.

Recipe adapted from Pearly Kee’s book ‘A Nyonya Inheritance’ – slightly modified

Ingredients for Spice Paste

15 dried chillies – soaked till soft

3 fresh red chillies – cut small pieces

10 shallots [100 gm] shallots – peeled and cut small pieces

1 flat tbsp shrimp paste [belacan]

2-3 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp white pepper [I omit]

Other Ingredients

100 gm cabbage – break into small pieces

100 gm long beans – break into 1-2 inch pieces

50 gm French beans – break into 1-2 inch pieces

1 small carrot – cut into 1-2 inch pieces and quartered

1 brinjal [about 150 gm] – cut into 1-2 inch pieces and quartered

1 red chilli and 1 green chilli – cut wedges [optional]

100 gm tofu puffs [tau pok] – halved

1 tsp salt and ½ tsp msg to taste

100 ml thick coconut milk

500 ml water

6 tbsp cooking oil

A few medium size prawns – shelled intact [optional]

1. Blend dried and fresh chillies, shallots until fine. Add in belacan, blend to mix well. Add in the dried spice ingredients and mix into a paste. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a non-stick wok, sauté spice paste until oil separates and aromatic. Add in cabbage, long beans, French beans , carrot and brinjal. Stir fry to mix all the ingredients with the paste.
3. Add in water, bring to a rolling boil, add in tofu puffs, cover wok to cook until vegetables are cooked.
4. Lastly add in the thick coconut milk. If using prawns, add them in and cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Dish up, serve hot.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

See Other Pearly Kee's Recipes

Nyonya Sambal Udang With Buah Petai
Nyonya Hong Bak [Stewed Pork]
Nyonya Kari Kay [Curry Chicken]

I am submitting this post to

Little Thumbs Up Event - October 2015 Theme - Coconut organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted by Jess of Bakericious

I am also submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event#27 - October 2015 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Read more »