serves
4
prep
5 minutes
cook
30 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
5
minutes
cooking
30
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 2 tbsp ground turmeric
- salt
- 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable oil
- 2 large red onions, finely sliced into rings
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cardamom pods
- 4 cloves
- 2 star anise
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 2.5 cm piece ginger, grated
- 2 curry leaf sprigs
- 1½ tbsp chilli powder
- 3 tbsp Malaysian curry powder (for meat and chicken)
- ½ tsp ground fennel
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 2 large red onions, extra, peeled, chopped and blended with 250 ml (1 cup) water
- 1 pandan leaf, knotted and torn
- 3 tsp oyster sauce
- 3 tsp chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1½ tbsp sugar, or to taste
- steamed rice, chapatis or , to serve
Instructions
- Coat the chicken drumsticks in the turmeric and 2 teaspoons salt.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until they are nicely coloured and nearly cooked through. Remove from the pan.
- Place the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and star anise in the same pan and stir well. Add the garlic and ginger, then the curry leaves, chilli powder and curry powder and stir again. Add the ground spices and stir until it becomes an aromatic paste. Add the blended red onion and pandan leaf and stir until the paste comes to a simmer. Stir in the oyster sauce, chilli sauce and ketchup, and season to taste with sugar and salt.
- Return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat well in the sauce. Add the fried onion, then let the drumsticks cook over low heat for another 10 minutes. Serve with rice or your choice of roti or chapatis.
Penang Local by Aim Aris and Ahmad Salim, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $39.99). Photography by Georgia Gold.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
