Nyonya Curry Chicken

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Nyonya Curry Chicken is a Malaysian curry chicken recipe made with chicken thighs, potatoes, warming spices and a homemade spice paste. It has a unique, rich flavor that’s best served with nasi kunyit (turmeric sticky rice)!

When it comes to comforting curry recipes, this one tops the list for me! It’s hearty and filling with full bone-in chicken thighs, tender chunks of potato and a creamy curry base.

Perhaps my favorite part is the fusion of flavor this curry brings to the table. The ingredients are a combination of warmth, tangy and spicy with cinnamon, star anise, cumin, coriander, lemongrass, curry leaves and shrimp paste.

While we often serve this curry with turmeric sticky rice, you can also serve it with coconut jasmine rice or Instant Pot basmati rice.

Once you try this curry chicken recipe, some other chicken curries to try include this pineapple chicken curry, Instant Pot chicken curry and chicken katsu curry.

What is Nyonya cuisine?

Nyonya is a type of cuisine (also referred to as Peranakan) that blends Chinese cooking techniques and ingredients with those from Malaysian.

Why this recipe works

1. For incredible depth of flavor, this recipe calls for toasting fresh, whole spices.
2. This curry dish, like many, tastes better the next day so it’s perfect for meal prepping.
3. While it’s not a quick cooking chicken recipe (it takes over an hour), it’s mostly hands off and during this time the chicken gets juicy and tender.
4. Chicken thighs are a more budget friendly cut of chicken and readily available at grocery stores.

Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients and quantities, check out the recipe card at the end of this post. 

You’ll need 3 pounds of chicken thighs for this recipe. I prefer to use bone-in and skin on chicken thighs as they are super flavorful. You can also use boneless, skinless if you prefer, but the resulting curry broth will be less flavorful.

For a fresh, citrusy flavor, you’ll need 10 curry leaves, which can be found in fresh or dried form.

The chicken will be simmered in a broth with 1 cinnamon stick and 1 star anise. This will help add a depth of flavor to the curry, but be sure to remove them from the curry before serving.

To add heartiness to the curry, you’ll need 6 ounces of gold potatoes. You can use whole potatoes or mini ones, just make sure they’re cut into 1-inch pieces. 

Like most curry recipes, this Nyonya curry requires coconut milk to add a creamy texture to the broth. I used a 15 ounce can of full fat coconut milk for the best consistency.

The homemade spice paste consists of shallots, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, belacan and lemongrass.

You’ll need 10 shallots and 4 garlic cloves. You can add them to the spice paste as they are or char them for an added smoky flavor.

For the best flavor, the cumin seeds and coriander seeds should be toasted and ground. Instructions on how to do this are included in the recipe.

The shrimp paste (belacan) will also need to be toasted. Belacan is a paste made from dried and fermented shrimp, which comes in dried blocks. It has a strong smell and taste, but once toasted, it adds a savory umami flavor to dishes.

Step by step instructions

Heat the oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven (or other large heavy bottomed pot).

Add the spice paste and fry for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to darken.

Add the cinnamon stick, curry leaves and star anise.

Add the chicken and stir to coat it.

Add the potatoes and enough water to just cover the chicken.

Simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.

Add the coconut milk and simmer for another 25-30 minutes.

Add additional salt as needed and serve hot with nasi kunyit (turmeric sticky rice).

How to make the spice paste

Toast the cumin and coriander in a skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove and grind with mortar and pestle.

Toast the belacan (shrimp paste) for 2-3 minutes, until slightly dried out (it will have a very strong smell while toasting).

**For extra flavor, char the shallots and garlic in a hot skillet before putting in the food processor. It gives it a smokier flavor.

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until fully combined and mostly smooth. 

Expert tips

1. For a thicker curry broth, I always use full fat coconut milk as light versions make curries too watery. If you want an even thicker curry, use coconut cream. 
2. For the best flavor, make sure your whole spices are fresh. I also highly recommend toasting and grinding the cumin and coriander seeds for the spice paste. 
3. When toasting the spices, keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. They will toast quickly.
4. The same is true for the belacan. This shrimp paste can burn quickly so keep an eye on it when toasting it.
5. Be careful not to overcook this curry dish as the chicken may end up a little tough and the potatoes could get mushy.
6. Keep your chicken thighs whole. This recipe does not call for cutting the chicken into pieces.
7. Make sure your potatoes are cut into roughly the same size pieces (about 1-inch cubes) so they cook evenly. If you have larger pieces, they will take longer to cook.
8. You can use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs. Just keep in mind that boneless thighs will cook quicker.

Common questions

Storage and reheating

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To reheat the leftovers, you can warm them in the microwave or in a pot on the stove top. 

More Malaysian recipes

• Malaysian Butter Prawns
• Sambal Belacan
• Hokkien Mee
• Mee Siam
• Mee Rebus

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it turned out!