Chinese Creamy Butter Chicken (Lai Yao Kei)

Step 1

Combine ingredients for the marinade. Add the chicken and coat chicken pieces in the marinade. Cover and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to one hour

Step 2

Preheat about 2 inches of oil for frying. Combine the tapioca starch, rice flour, chicken powder in a bowl and whisk to combine

Step 3

Coat the chicken pieces in the flour mixture. When you put a skewer into the oil, there will be lots of bubbles around it. The oil is ready. Fry the chicken pieces in batches until they are crispy and golden brown over medium heat. Remove from the oil and put an absorbent paper towel and continue frying the rest in batches

Step 4

If you want extra crispy, go for second frying. Start from the chicken pieces that you first fried. This time around will be faster. Fry until the chicken really crisp up, about 1 minute or less

Step 5

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Saute the garlic, chili, and curry leaves until the leaves are crispy and aromatic

Step 6

Add the evaporated milk and bring it to a simmer. Add condensed milk, chicken powder, salt, and sugar and let it cook until the sauce reduce slightly. Have a taste and adjust to your liking. Add the chicken pieces and toss in the sauce to make sure the sauce coats the chicken evenly. Serve immediately