Chicken Curry/Gulai Ayam

I used to wonder why did my curry appear not as great as those served in Padang resto, but later after many many attemps, I found out the clues. First of all, we have to use a lot of oil and red chillies for color. When we dont like it hot, substitute the red chillies with red paprika will do it. The second clue is the thick coconut milk. When add the thick coconut milk, don’t do it at rage boiling stage, wait until it cool down a bit, then add the thick coconut milk, keep stirring until it boils. If you stop stirring at this stage, the coconut milk will appear break


Ingredients :

1 chicken, cut into small pieces
1 grated coconut, add 1 cup of warm water, extract the thick coconut milk, then add 2 liters water and extract the thin coconut milk
Salt to taste
Knorr cube chicken flavour to taste
1 cup cooking oil

Ground Spices :

6 gms peeled ginger
15 gms tumeric
30 gms galangal
35 gms shallot
15 gr garlic
2 red chillies, add more when like it hot
80 gms red paprika, for color
15 gms candlenut
15 gms lemon grass, white part only
15 gms ground coriander seed
1 tsp ground pepper

Other Spices :
3 bay leaves
6 kaffir lime leaves
1 star anise
4 cloves
2 tumeric leaves, knot
1 cardamom

Methods :
Heat oil in a skillet, add in the ground spices when oil is hot enough. The amount of oil should cover the ground spices. Keep stirring until fragrant and the oil color turn into orange. Put in the chicken, stirr until it is half cooked. Transfer to a big pot. Pour in the thin coconut milk, other spices, Knorr cube and salt to taste. Cook until the chicken is done. TURN THE FIRE TO LOW, wait 5 minutes, then carefully pour in the thick coconut milk, keep stirring until it boils slightly, turn off the stove.