Ayam Masak Merah Johore ( Special Chicken with Red Sauce )
A special type of dish with distinctive flavor. It represents the original Malay Johore traditional cuisines.Despite its fiery red colored curried sauce, it has milder, creamier and slightly sweet taste. It is a beautiful dish that decorates the table during occasional and wedding feast. This beautiful and delicious dish is a perfectly served with Ghee or Biryani Rice.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken – cleaned and quartered or cut to serving portion. Marinate with turmeric powder or pounded saffron and salt with a little bit of pepper. Deep frying to ¾ cooked or lightly browned over medium heat. Put aside until later.
To make the sauce :
Ground
- 15 shallots
- 6 cloves garlic
- 11/2 “ ginger
- 1/2 cm galangal
- 3 stalks lemon grass
- 1 thin piece cinnamon - lightly toasted
- 3 cardamom pods - lightly toasted
- 1 star anise - lightly toasted
Other ingredients
- 5 tbsps chilli paste
- 1big can tomato puree
- 5 tbsps evaporated milk
- 5 tbsps water
- The 4 siblings - a piece cinnamon stick, 3 cardamom pods, 3 cloves and 1 whole star anise
- 2 tbsps - ghee
- 1 tbsps - oil
- 2 tbsps - fried sultanas
- 2 tbsps - toasted cashews
- A bunch fresh mint leaves – coarsely chopped
- A bunch fresh coriander leaves – coarsely chopped
- Salt and palm sugar to taste
Making the sauce:
Heat ghee and oil in a pan ( kuali ). Sautee the 4 siblings until fragrant then add the blended spices with chilli paste. Stir and let it simmer over medium heat until oil surface. Add in tomato puree. Stir to combine. Once the sauce begins to sizzle, add in milk and water. Leave it to simmer. Add salt and sugar to taste. Add the chopped coriander and mint leaves. Stir. When the sauce is ready, add the chicken. Mix it well, cover and leave to cook for another 15 -20 minutes. Top the sauce with fried sultanas and cashews. Stir, off the heat and serve.
