How to cook Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi

Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi or Chicken in Coconut Cream with Birds Eye Chili in English, is a spicy rich yellow coconut gravy that is cooked with chilli padi. While this recipe uses chicken, it can be substituted with prawns, flower crabs or fishead. Depending on your tastebuds, you can add more or less chillies if you wish. Recipe for 4 pax. Other similar recipe - Ayam Kurma (Korma Chicken), Opor Ayam (Braised Chicken with white Sauce) .

Ingredients for Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi:

• 1 chicken, cut into 8 pcs, washed and drained
• 1 litre coconut milk
• 3 tomatoes, cut into 4
• 1 stalk lemongrass, lightly bruised
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, lightly bruised
• 1 turmeric leaf, torn to 2
• Salt to meet the taste
• Vegetable oil
• ½ cup water

Rempah to blend:

• 10 red bird's eyes chillies
• 10 green bird's eyes chillies
• 3 large red onions
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 inch old ginger, peeled
• 1 inch of fresh turmeric, peeled
• 5 candlenuts

Chicken marinate:

• 1 tbsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp grated ginger, salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate chicken pieces with ginger, turmeric powder and salt for at least 30 minutes. Fry chicken until ¾ cooked and put aside.

2. Finely blend rempah ingredients into paste.

3. Using the same oil in pot, pour in the ground ingredients, torn tumeric leaf, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and fry till oil appear, fragrant (Medium heat - Do not burn).

4. Add the fried chicken, coconute milk and water. At this stage, keep it to a simmer for the rempah to adsorb to chicken and until the gravy thickens.

5. Add tomatoes and salt to taste.

6. Once chicken is cooked, serve with steamed white rice.