Kapitan Chicken (Soy Bean Paste Version)
Kapitan chicken is a Straits Chinese dish richly flavoured with an aromatic blend of Asian spices. In this non-curry variation, the tangy and salted flavours of soy bean paste and tamarind sauce dominate this savoury dish.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken chopped into parts
- 4 tbsp tamarind pulp
- 300 ml water
- 1 dried tamarind peel
- 5 tbsp oil for frying
- 15 shallots
- 1- inch 2.5 cm fresh turmeric root
- 1 lemongrass stalk
- 2 candlenuts
- 2 cloves
- 1 cinnamon bark
- 1 tsp peppercorn crushed
- 1 tbsp soy bean paste
- 30 g chilli paste or more if you like it spicy
Seasonings:
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp sugar or to taste
- 1 tsp chicken seasoning powder
Instructions
- Peel shallots and turmeric, and roughly chop. Peel tough outer skin of lemongrass. Slice bottom 3-inch segment of the stalk only.
- Using a food processor, blend shallots, turmeric and lemongrass into a fine paste, with some oil to help grease the blades.
- Add crushed peppercorns, soy bean paste and chilli paste. Pulse for a few seconds to combine well.
- Mix tamarind pulp with water and using your fingers, squeeze the pulp. Strain through a fine sieve to get the tamarind juice. Discard the skins and pods.
- Heat up oil in a wok over medium fire. Stir-fry the blended spice paste with cloves and cinnamon bark until fragrant and cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add chicken parts and stir-fry for a few minutes to coat chicken evenly with the spice paste. Keep stir-frying until the chicken pieces start to cook on the outside, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add tamarind juice and tamarind peel and stir to mix well. Let braising liquid come to a boil, then lower heat.
- Let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is tender to your liking. If the braising liquid reduces too quickly, add water little by little.
- Once the braising liquid is reduced to a thick gravy, stir in the seasonings. Taste, and add more sugar or salt, if desired, to balance the flavour. The dish should be tangy, sweet and salty in harmonious balance.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 378kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 255mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 24g
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