FARE EXCHANGE Jump to recipe
Chicken curry (Kari ayam)

Chicken curry (Kari ayam)

“We called into Mamak in Sydney’s Chinatown for some Malaysian street food. The chicken curry (kari ayam) was fantastic – could you ask Mamak’s three chefs to share their secret?”
Lee Gossard, Tempe, NSW

Request a recipe
To request a recipe, write to Fare Exchange, Australian Gourmet Traveller, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email us. All requests should include the restaurant’s name and address or business card, as well as your name and address.

Chicken curry (Kari ayam)

Serves 4
Cooking Time Prep time 10 mins, cook 20 mins
2 tbsp   vegetable oil
½   small brown onion, finely chopped
3 cm   piece of ginger, finely chopped
2   cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1   cinnamon quill
1   star anise
½ tsp   cardamom seeds, crushed
2   sprigs of curry leaves
130 gm   Indian curry powder (see note)
1 tbsp   ground chilli, or to taste
2 tbsp   white sugar
4   (about 1kg) chicken Marylands, cut into 4 pieces
250 gm   sebago potatoes, cut into 2cm pieces
2   stalks of lemongrass, white part bruised
To serve:   steamed rice and sliced red chilli


1 Heat oil in a wok over medium heat, then add onion, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom seeds and curry leaves and stirfry until fragrant and onion is soft (about 3 minutes). Add 1.5 litres of water and bring to the boil, add curry powder, ground chilli and sugar and stir to combine. Add chicken, potato and lemongrass, return to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken and potato are cooked through (about 15 minutes). Scatter with chilli and serve with rice.

Note Look for finely ground mild (meat) Indian curry powder.

RECIPE Mamak restaurant PHOTOGRAPHY Teny Aghamalian STYLING Vanessa Austin


Missed an edition of Gourmet Traveller?
Access our back issues from as far back as June 2010 at the tap of your finger, catch up on our latest issue or subscribe now by downloading the Gourmet Traveller iPad app today.

Visit the iTunes store

Search by cuisine, name, ingredients...
Hazelnut mousse with honeycomb and chocolate Hazelnut mousse with honeycomb and choco... Saltwater potatoes with pebre sauce Saltwater potatoes with pebre sauce
Whipped cod roe Whipped cod roe Kritharaki Kritharaki
Previous Next
Leek and Manchego bread Leek and Manchego bread Spiced pumpkin soup Spiced pumpkin soup
Chocolate-caramel crêpe cake Chocolate-caramel crêpe cake Spatchcock with beans and white anchovy Spatchcock with beans and white anchovy
Previous Next