Curry Cluck Cluck, Peeeer - Cluck!

I ain't a good cook. But I have been practicing and my husband tells me that, my cooking is getting better. I guess it's true. When you live away from your home or your country, you survive by learning to cook your home cook meal. You adapt to the fact that, there wont be any Malaysian meal available anytime or any day. If there is, will it be halal? So here I am, from a zero na-da cook to a cook. I still got more things to learn or do. Better yet, master the Malaysian cooking. But I make do of the simple dishes. Like curry, sambal, simple oyster sauce veges, beef in black sauce and etc.

I made my first curry back in 2011. Yes. After we got married, moved to Hong Kong and my husband wants curry. So, after some Youtube-ing, learning from MIL when we come home for holiday, our neighbor in Bahrain gave some tips, got my quick class learning from a chef, I finally understand how to cook it.

Pecah minyak? Masak sampai empuk daging? What are those words, at first I asked. Now, I sooooo totally get it (blond moment). HAHAHAHAHHA! So here is my version of making them curries.

Prepare you ingredients. Mise en place can be taking up time, but once its all done and ready, cooking it takes only 5 mins. 

Get your ingredients:-

1. 1 whole Chicken cut into pieces (which I take the skin out. I use tamarind juice & rub all over the chicken's body to get rid of the chickadee's smell. Another tip from my MIL. You can use lime or lemon. Anything citrus.)

To make curry paste:-

1. 1 packet of Chicken/Beef curry powder (About 24 gms)
2. 1 tbsp chili powder
3. 1 big onion, diced
4. 4 cloves of garlic, chopped

(Blend all together till with some water till paste like and put aside.)

To stir fry:-

1. cloves of garlic, sliced
2. some shallots, sliced
3. 1 stalk of curry leaves (if you have, which I don't)
4. some star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, flower of cardamon (I use the five spice powder instead)

To add flavor & thickness to curry gravy:-

1. 250 ml coconut milk (1 tin, as I like it thick.)
2. 1/2 tsp of tamarind paste

To add in :-

1. Potatoes
2. Tomatoes (I didn't have them that day)
3. Chilies
4. Some ladyfingers

Method:-

1. 2 tbsp oil. 
2. Stir fry all the "To Stir Fry" ingredients till fragrant.
3. Pour in blended curry paste.
4. On slow fire, let the paste cook till oil separates. If paste gets to dry before oil separation, add in water and wait again. Don't burn the paste. 
5. Once oil separates, put in chicken & potatoes and stir to combine. Then add in some water (I think I pour in 1 cup, at first) just so to soften the potatoes. Let the water boil.
6. After boiled, pour in coconut milk. Stir well. Add tamarind paste, some salt and I usually add a bit of sugar to taste.
7. Then add in lady fingers, chilies & tomatoes.

PS: I usually cook the curries a night before, cause I personally thinks curries are best eaten the day after as the gravy will taste better. Maybe because they absorb all the coconuts and all the ingredients. I don't know how to explain it, but trust me. :)

My curry paste got a bit dry before the oil separates, so I add in some water.  Oh, be prepared for the awesome 'the-whole-building-will-smell-of-curry' experience. That is if you live in an apartment. Worst, executive hotel apartment!