Ayam masak merah is one of my favourite malay dish and this is my first attempt in making this dish. The recipe and method is adapted from Delima Zamrud.
Start by marinating the chicken pieces with a bit of salt and turmeric and keep aside.
Make into paste the onions, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, fresh turmeric, galangal, and soaked dried chillies.
In a wok, heat up some oil and fry the chicken pieces till they are about halfway done. Remove from oil and keep aside.
In a large wok, heat up some of the oil which was used to fry the chicken and fry the cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise till fragrant. To that add the paste and fry for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the paste becomes dry and starts sticking to the pan, add some water and continue to cook till the raw smell of the paste goes off.
Once the paste is cooked, add the lightly crushed lemongrass, chopped tomatoes, asam keping, chilli sauce, salt and sugar. Cook till the tomatoes are soft, which takes about 10 minutes.
Go on to add the fried chicken and mix well. Cook till the chicken pieces are cooked through.
Lastly, stir in the sliced red onion and bird's eye chilli. Cooked for another 5 minutes and remove from heat.
AYAM MASAK MERAH
INGREDIENTS:
2kg chicken cut into pieces of desired size
2 red onion, sliced (round)
4 bird's eye chilli
2 cinnamon sticks
12 cardamom pods
6 star anise
2 lemongrass, lightly crushed
3 tbsp chilli sauce
3 asam keping
2 tomatoes, quartered
Water (3-4 cups)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Oil, for frying the chicken pieces
Marinate:
Salt to taste
A pinch of turmeric
To blend:
4 onions (2 spanish onion and 2 red onion), chopped
12 cloves garlic, peeled
2 lemongrass, chopped
3 inch fresh ginger
2 inch fresh turmeric
2 inch galangal
40 dried chillies (soaked)
Water (a little)
METHOD:
1) Start by marinating the chicken pieces with a bit of salt and turmeric and keep aside.
2) Make into paste the to blend ingredients.
3) In a wok, heat up some oil and fry the chicken pieces till they are about halfway done. Remove from oil and keep aside.
4) In a large wok, heat up some of the oil which was used to fry the chicken and fry the cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise till fragrant.
5) Add the paste and fry for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
6) Once the paste becomes dry and starts sticking to the pan, add some water and continue to cook till the raw smell of the paste goes off.
7) Once the paste is cooked, add the lightly crushed lemongrass, chopped tomatoes, asam keping, chilli sauce, salt and sugar. Cook till the tomatoes are soft, which takes about 10 minutes.
8) Go on to add the fried chicken and mix well. Cook till the chicken pieces are cooked through.
9) Lastly, stir in the sliced red onion and bird's eye chilli. Cooked for another 5 minutes and remove from heat.
