SINGAPOREAN CHICKEN CURRY

Singaporean Chicken Curry image

Provided by Clarissa Wei

Time 1h40m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

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6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (2½ pounds)
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons ground white pepper
Fine salt
1/4 cup ghee or canola oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick, preferably Indian
3 cardamom pods
1 whole star anise
4 whole cloves
4 fresh or 8 thawed frozen pandan leaves, knotted
2 teaspoons Kashmiri chile powder or other ground red chile
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground fennel
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup coconut milk
Nasi biryani

Steps:

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and combine with the lime juice, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1½ teaspoons white pepper, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a large bowl. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for 40 minutes.
In a large wok or Dutch oven, heat the ghee over medium-high. When the ghee is hot and shimmering, wipe the marinade off the chicken and add the chicken in a single layer. Sear until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion, remaining 1 tablespoon garlic and 1 tablespoon ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and cloves, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the pandan leaves, chile powder, ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground fennel and remaining 1 teaspoon white pepper, and stir until it smells lovely, about 10 seconds.
Add the chicken and stir until it is completely coated with the aromatics. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a near boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and simmer briskly to concentrate the flavors, 5 to 8 minutes. Add salt to taste. Turn off the heat and use the curry to prepare nasi biryani.