Step 1

Brine the chicken overnight in a glass container with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 cups of water. Cover with a lid to prevent spills.

Step 2

On the day of cooking, start by blending the ingredients to make the spice paste/rempah. Add a few tablespoons of water to create a smooth paste.

Step 3

Heat up the oil in a heavy cast iron pot. Temper the spices for about 1 minute.

Step 4

Add the spice paste/rempah and fry for 5 minutes.

Step 5

Drain the chicken before adding them to the pot. Stir to cover the chicken in the spice paste and fry for 20 minutes until the paste darkens.

Step 6

You won’t need to babysit the pot at this stage, so you can use this time to wash up any dirty dishes. But do stir periodically to ensure that the paste does not burn at the bottom.

Step 7

Once the paste has darkened, indicating that the onions and garlic are cooked, add 3 cups of water. Season with salt and sugar. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes.

Step 8

Next add the potatoes. Bring the heat down to medium or medium low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring periodically.

Step 9

At this point, you will start to see that the curry has split and there is a layer of oil at the surface of the curry (the Malays call this “pecah minyak”). This is a good sign! Don’t remove it unless you are particularly health conscious.

Step 10

After 30 minutes, and the potatoes are cooked (you don’t want them overcooked as it will disintegrate into the curry), add half the amount of coconut cream.

Step 11

Next, add the cube of chicken stock and fish sauce. Continue cooking uncovered for 10 minutes. Taste test and add more salt if needed and the rest of the coconut cream to your liking.

Step 12

Serve over hot rice with fresh cucumbers on the side.