Mama’s Rendang Chicken

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces

8 chicken drumsticks

3 large potatoes

8 Tablespoons curry powder (Baba’s meat curry powder)

Rempah (spice paste)

2 inch galangal, peeled and cut into small pieces

3 stalks lemongrass, slice bottom stalk finely

10-12 bauh keras (candlenut), smashed with large knife

2 inch yellow ginger (turmeric), peeled and cut into small pieces

3 big cloves garlic, peeled

5-10 dried chilies or to taste

300g (over 20) small purple shallots, peeled and cut into half

1 sq inch belachan

Additional items

Oil

Salt

2 pandan leaves, washed and knotted separately

1 to 2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 Tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 cup lime juice (12-15 small limes)

2.5 cups hot water

Method 

Massage the chicken pieces with salt, wash thoroughly and set aside.

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces, wash with salt and set aside to dry.

Blend the spices together until they become a thick paste. Stir in 6 tablespoons of curry powder. Set aside.

Use a fork to poke the chicken pieces then marinade them with 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of curry powder and 2 tablespoons of rempah.  Marinade 30 min to overnight. The longer you marinade, the more flavourful the chicken will be.

Heat up a few cups of oil in a large wok. Add a pinch of salt and one of the knotted pandan leaves. When the oil is hot and ready, remove the pandan leaf and add the potatoes. Fry until golden brown and remove onto plate with paper towels to drain the oil.

Add more oil and a pinch of salt. When it is hot, deep fry the chicken pieces until golden brown and remove.

In another large wok, add a few tablespoons of oil. Add the pandan leaf and a pinch of salt, and remove when the oil is hot and ready. Fry the rempah with 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce and 1 tablespoon light sauce. Fry until fragrant and add the chicken pieces and potato to rempah. Stir everything together. Add 2.5 cups of hot water and 0.5 cup of lime juice. Taste and if needed, add another ½ or 1 tablespoon sugar. Simmer until the sauce evaporates a little more and becomes thick.

Enjoy with rice or French loaf.