Name: Chui Lee Luk’s chicken curry with pickled pineapple
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 chicken (about 1.5kg) , jointed into 12 pieces; 1 onion, coarsely chopped; 5 garlic cloves; 15 gm (about 3cm) ginger; 1 tsp belacan, roasted (see note); 1 tbsp canola oil; 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised and cut into 3 pieces; 1 star anise; 450 gm (about 3 small) sebago potatoes, quartered; 250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk; 1 sprig fresh curry leaves; 3 tsp grated palm sugar, or to taste; Steamed rice, to serve; Pickled pineapple; 10 small garlic cloves; 5 long red chillies, chopped; 30 gm (about 6cm) ginger, coarsely chopped; 30 gm (about 6cm) galangal, finely grated; 2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely chopped; 2 tsp ground turmeric; 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) canola oil; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 55 gm (1⁄4 cup) caster sugar; 1 ripe pineapple (about 1kg), cut into 2cm pieces; Curry powder; 1 cinnamon quill; 1 tbsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp fennel seeds; ½ tsp cumin seeds; 2 cloves

Chui Lee Luk’s chicken curry with pickled pineapple

This creamy coconut and lemongrass curry is pure home-cooked comfort.

Serves 4

Prep

Cook

Total

“Chicken curry with accompaniments was the equivalent of a roast dinner in our family when I was growing up,” says Chui Lee Luk, formerly of Sydney’s Fujisaki and Claude’s. “The scent of all the spices and aromatics, which were pounded in a mortar and pestle, would waft out of the kitchen, and it would seem an age before we got to sit down to enjoy it.”

Ingredients

1 chicken (about 1.5kg) , jointed into 12 pieces

1 onion, coarsely chopped

5 garlic cloves

15 gm (about 3cm) ginger

1 tsp belacan, roasted (see note)

1 tbsp canola oil

1 lemongrass stalk, bruised and cut into 3 pieces

1 star anise

450 gm (about 3 small) sebago potatoes, quartered

250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk

1 sprig fresh curry leaves

3 tsp grated palm sugar, or to taste

Steamed rice, to serve

Pickled pineapple

10 small garlic cloves

5 long red chillies, chopped

30 gm (about 6cm) ginger, coarsely chopped

30 gm (about 6cm) galangal, finely grated

2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely chopped

2 tsp ground turmeric

125 ml (1⁄2 cup) canola oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

55 gm (1⁄4 cup) caster sugar

1 ripe pineapple (about 1kg), cut into 2cm pieces

Curry powder

1 cinnamon quill

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

2 cloves

2 cardamom pods, bruised

4 dried red chillies, coarsely chopped

1 tsp white peppercorns

1 tsp ground turmeric

Method

1.For pickled pineapple, blend garlic, chilli, ginger, galangal, lemongrass and turmeric in a small food processor until smooth, adding a little oil to loosen if necessary. Heat oil in a saucepan over low heat and fry paste until it darkens slightly (20 minutes), then stir in vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp salt. Remove from heat and cool, then add pineapple, stir to coat, and refrigerate to marinate (1 hour).

2.Preheat oven to 180°C. For curry powder, dry-roast ingredients (except chillies peppercorns and turmeric) until fragrant (10 minutes). Finely grind chillies with a mortar and pestle, add roasted spices and peppercorns, finely grind, then stir in turmeric.

3.Place chicken in a large bowl, rub with 1 tbsp curry powder and 1 tsp salt and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

4.Meanwhile, pound onion, garlic, ginger and belacan to a smooth paste with a mortar and pestle. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry paste until fragrant and onion is cooked out (5-6 minutes). Add lemongrass, star anise and remaining curry powder and fry until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add chicken and 250ml water, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is half-cooked (15 minutes). Add potato, coconut milk and curry leaves, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potato is tender and chicken is cooked (25-30 minutes). Season with salt and palm sugar and serve with rice and pineapple pickle.

Belacan is a shrimp paste available from Asian grocers. To roast it, wrap it in foil and roast in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes.
Drink suggestion: Fully mature bottle-aged Eden Valley riesling. Drink suggestion by Max Allen.
Notes