Penang Curry can be made with either beef or chicken, according to your preference. Named after a state in northern Malaysia, this special curry recipe carries with it flavors and aromas of distant places (you'll find references to Malaysia as well as India and Burma). With its homemade combination of spices and fresh herbs, my Penang Curry Chicken is super delicious, and the red vegetables such as tomatoes and red bell (or sweet) peppers add extra vitamins, flavor, and texture to this wonderful dish.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 00 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 small chicken, or 1/2 medium-large chicken cut up into pieces (or the equivalent of beef)
- 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1-2 red bell or sweet peppers, sliced
- CURRY SAUCE:
- 4 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 tsp. shrimp paste
- 1 Tbsp. paprika
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1/2 Tbsp. ground coriander
- 1 red chili, minced OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you want it
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 1 Tbsp. cumin
- 2 kaffir lime leaves (available in the freezer section of Asian/Chinese food stores)
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 can good-quality coconut milk
- juice of 1/2 lime
- optional: 1 extra can coconut milk
- GARNISH:
- 1 loose cup fresh basil leaves, left whole or roughly chopped if leaves are large
Preparation:
- To make the curry sauce, place all sauce ingredients in a food processor. Process well. Add 1/2 to 1 additional can of coconut milk if you'd like more sauce, or if the curry is too spicy.
- Pour sauce into a cassarole dish and add the chicken pieces. Mix well.
- Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and add the tomatoes and peppers. Mix well, then return to the oven to bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.
- Do a taste test before serving: add 1-2 Tbsp. more fish sauce if not salty enough. If too spicy, add more coconut milk or a little yogurt. If too salty, add more lime juice.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and serve with plenty of Thai jasmine rice (white or whole-grain). ENJOY!
