Ayam Masak Lemak

Ingredients :

-500gm Chicken (or half chicken)

-Salt to taste

-1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

-100 ml canned coconut milk + water around 300ml OR equivalent amount from 1/2 coconut (I use grated coconut and blend with little of water)

-1/2 Turmeric leaf (Daun Kunyit)

-1 inch Lemongrass  - bashed

-1 or 2 potatoes (optional), cut into wedges or cube.

·                 

Ingredients to be ground (Ingredient B)

·        I red Onion

·        2 small clove Garlic

·        10 Green bird’s eye chillies (Cili Padi Hijau)
(10 is not that hot, if you want add spicy than add more)

•    1 inch Ginger
•    1 inch Turmeric root (Kunyit Hidup)

·        2 red chillies

Instructions :

1.   Coat the chicken pieces with turmeric powder and the salt. 

Set aside while you get all the other ingredients ready.

2.   Grind the ingredient B (except Red chili) to a fine paste 

then add red chili and grind roughly (so we can see the red chili piece, this will give a nice color combination later).

3.   Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok, put lemon grass and chili paste into wok. After a while (around 2 minutes) add in the chicken pieces.

4.   Let it cook until the meat has taken some color (around 5 minutes), then pour in the coconut milk. (If use freshly squeezed coconut milk, add only the second pressings, reserving the thick coconut milk at the end). Make sure amount of liquid covers the chicken, if not add more water. Put in potatoes, Stir well and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for around 30 minutes, until your chicken is cooked.

5.   Then add salt, turmeric leaf and balance milk, gently stir, for 1 minutes and turn off the heat.

6.  Dish up with some plain rice and a side vegetable dish or salted egg. 

** If you want dry gravy, you may fry the chicken ¼ cooked before cook lemak.

** frequently stir after the coconut milk is added into the chicken.