Malaysian Fare: Chicken Satay, Chicken Curry, Coconut Rice!

Last Sunday we were fondly remembering our time spent in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The food scene there is an eclectic mix like their population. You could get South Indian food blending in with Chinese delicacies and local Malay (influenced by Indonesian style). Its a hot pot of culture and cuisines. They also have a very popular food stalls culture with everybody eating out at these stalls all through the day. And the amazing part you never get tired of it with the variety of food available. Plus their hygiene is so good that I never fell sick there.

Now in Canada, we visit some good restaurants in Scarborough to reminisce our old days. Today i decided to recreate some of these flavors in my home kitchen. Satay sauce is easy to prepare at home with the pantry staples. I didn't have most of the required ingredients for the curry paste. I always prefer to make my sauces and spice paste at home from scratch. But this one time i made an exception and bought ready made curry paste after making sure they didn't have any added preservatives or additives. I am so glad that it didn't affect the quality of taste and we got to eat authentic Malaysian food for a fraction of the cost of eating out.

I made my daughter's favorite Chicken Satay which is marinated and grilled sweet and spicy chicken tenders on a bamboo skewer. I think its the fun of eating off the skewers which gets her more excited. Also made some Malaysian Chicken Curry and Coconut rice to go with it.

Chicken Satay

Ingredients:
15-20 small boneless pieces of chicken
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 15-20 mins to prevent them from burning

Satay Sauce-
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup chicken broth / water
3 tbsp Gluten free Soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp Curry paste
1 shallot/small onion, chopped

Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.
Makes about 1 1/4 cup of sauce. Use half for marination and other half as dipping sauce
In a large bowl, marinate the chicken with about 3/4th cup of the marinate and keep aside for at least an hour.
Heat a grill to medium heat and brush it with oil.
Skewer small marinated pieces of chicken (3-4)
Grill the chicken on all sides till done.
Serve hot with the dipping sauce and sliced cucumbers.
This is a nice sweet and spicy chicken appetizer.

Malaysian Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
1/2 can of curry paste
1/2 can of thick coconut milk/cream
1/2 cup water
1 lb of chicken pieces on bone
1 large potato, chopped into large chunks
1/4 cup chopped red onions
2 tbsp of roasted peanuts (for garnish)

Directions:
In a large saucepan, stir fry the curry paste with half the coconut milk for a few mins.
Add in the chicken and the remaining coconut milk and bring to a boil.
Now stir in the potatoes and onions and cook till the meat is tender.
Add water according to the thickness of gravy needed.
The paste has salt but you can taste and adjust the seasoning.
Serve hot garnished with crushed peanuts.


Coconut Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup jasmine / basmati rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
2 tbsp of dry coconut powder
salt to taste

Directions:
In a sauce pan, take the rice, coconut milk, salt and water and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat to sim and cover and cook till the rice is just done.
In another pan, dry roast the coconut pdr till light brown.
Serve the coconut rice with a sprinkle of dry coconut pdr on top.