Sunday, August 28, 2011

Merdeka Open House: Chicken Kapitan



When my husband and I were still in our dating stage of our relationship, he brought me to visit his family's home town- Malacca. It was a truly amazing experience, standing in the midst of a busy street at Jasin, imaging what it must be like for him growing up, visiting his grandmother, playing with his cousins and eating all the fabulous food one can find there!

Most of hubby's family have since moved to KL. His grandmother passed away sometime ago, but his uncles and my father in law continued to check in their little family home now and then.

As usual, when Babe in KL annouced this year's theme of Merdeka Open House, I asked what he would like me to cook. His response was unusually quiet as he spoke about one of his favourite dishes that his mother used to cook for him and how it reminded him of Malacca.


I could still recall, those days where we could bring in to Australia home made curry pastes. His mother would prepare a few packets of rempah, and in some cases, even curry pastes of Chicken Kapitan. When hubby and I were housemates, I used to look forward to his turn to cook- because he would use his mother's curry pastes!

It makes sense then, when he requested that I make Chicken Kapitan this year. Celebrating where his family comes from when they arrived in Jasin so many years ago, and how his uncles witness their father (My grandfather in law if it makes sense!) build his establishments, allowing the uncles to have the future they have now, and allowing my husband and his generation to build their future.  Not forgetting, a big thank you to my mother in law who packed and prepared all those years of chicken kapitan pastes so that hubby (and me!) could have a taste of home.


Chicken Kapitan is a Nonya dish, a chicken in a rich coconut curry gravy. My kitchen was filled with the lovely flavours of lemongrass, belacan and ginger. Ah, I'm slowly loving my quest of cooking curry from scratch this year.



Chicken Kapitan (serves 4-5)
500 grams of chicken thigh (Or you can use 1 kg of chicken drumsticks)
1 tsp oil
5 eschalots diced
270 ml of coconut cream
juice of 1/2 lemon/lime

To be blended or pounded
4 chili padi
3 eschalots
5 cloves of garlic
2.5 cm each of ginger, galangal and tumeric, peeled and sliced
5 candlenuts
2 stalks of lemongrass white part only, chopped finely
1 tsp belacan (dried shrimp paste)

Blend the blended ingredients into a paste. Heat oil in a pan and fry paste for around 5 minutes. Your kitchen will smell so good then! Brown chicken and eschalots. Turn chicken to coat in paste. Add coconut cream with 100 ml of water and cover pan with lid. Boil and them simmer for another 20 minutes or so. Uncover and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Stir in lemon/lime juice. Serve with hot rice.


Sending my love to this year's event of Merdeka's Day organised by Babe in Kl!

(reminds me.. I should start an event for Singapore National Day next year!)

Photobucket

17 comments:

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Hmm,look so yummy! more rice please.

Smoky Wok (formerly Tastes of Home) said...

Chicken kapitan is one of my favs! Thanks for sharing the lovely story too :)

Babe_KL said...

Curry from scratch is always the best! (hey it ryhmes!!! hahaha)

Thanks for your entry and looking forward to your Spore National Day event next year ;-)

lena said...

can almost smell the aromatic lemongrass and the curry here! haha! but it's true, it's is so aromatic when cooking this, it will make everyone hungry!!

Joanne said...

I've never heard of this dish before but it must be crazy delicious if your husband requested it!

Precious Pea said...

I couldn't recall if I ever tasted Chicken Kapitan before but will soon find out! Hehehe..thanks for the recipe!

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Lovely post, Daphne. I know I would love this one. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Kitchen Belleicious said...

coconut curry gravy? What could be better than that. I have never heard of this dish before but it seems like something my family would love. I can just imagine the flavors are intoxicating! I love it

Unknown said...

omg! it'd be hard to cut down rice when there's such a dish! :D

Little Corner of Mine said...

Lovely post and glad you made it to this year Merdeka Open House too. :)

tigerfish said...

Great job! Such food just brings warmth and comfort to me :) ...oh, bring me some steamed rice too.

Amelia said...

This is delicious, I can eat 2 bowl of rice, yum yum

Kenny Mah said...

Yummy - I remember when my grandma used to make this - she's part Peranakan! :)

daphne said...

Thanks Sonia! ;)

Jen- No problems! I hope you enjoyed it.

babe_kl- My pleasure. loving the round up as well.

lena- thanks!

Joanne- it sure is!

Precious Pea- hope you like it!

Shirley- so sweet of you!

Jessica- if you love curry! You will love it too.

Ching- yay! I'm glad I made it.

Rita- So true!

Tigerfish- hehee, no problems!

Amelia- Thanks for dropping by!

Kenny- that's awesome! hope it's up to the standards! LOL

rokh said...

yums! you make me want to go dish up one now or if desperate seek for a nyonya restaurant tomorrow!

http://thamjiak.com

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

Looks DELICIOUS!!! Perfect dinner for me and my family. p.s. I LOVE your bowl...with handle! So cute!

daphne said...

Rokh- thanks!!!

Nami- it's actually a mini wok!!

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