Ayam Masak Merah and Garlic Rice

 

  

 

 

 

As I seldom cook, so normally when I see any recipe with long list of ingredients, ingredient names that are not familiar e..g spices, many steps, I will back out. Always think that it will be too complicated and difficult for me to handle.

I had longed saw this Ayam Masak Merah posted by many bloggers, although the beautiful photos of the chicken making me drooling but I never thought of cooking myself. Until I saw Mandy posted and said that she is not so good in cooking but still can manage this dish. Although sometimes cannot totally "trust" the words as many of them are too 谦虚 (modest) lol, but this comment did made me seriously looked at the ingredients list and the steps so finally decided to give it a try.

Recipe adapted and reference from Table For Two And More, 揾到食, Butter Flour And Me, Eileen's Dairy


Ayam Masak Merah
Ingredients : (for 6 adults and 2 children)
7 maryland chicken, halve it (about 1.7kg)
3 potatoes, cut into 4-6 pieces
2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
Dash of pepper

6 shallots
4 cloves of garlic
2 cm ginger
4 red chilli

4 inches cinnamon
6 cloves (bunga cengkih)
6 cardamoms (buah pelaga)
2 red onion sliced
 
1 cup tomato ketchup
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 cup green pea (I omitted)


 Method :
1. Marinate chicken with salt, turmeric and pepper for at least 30 minutes.
2. Mill shallots, ginger, garlic and chilli.
3. Heat wok and put in ½ cup of oil. Pan fry potatoes till a bit soften and dish up.
4. Pan fry chicken pieces until the skin turns golden and dish up. It’s ok if the chicken is not cooked thoroughly and still oozes some blood. 
5. Pour away some of the oil, leaving behind about 2-3 tbsp of oil.
6. Saute the milled ingredients on medium heat until it looks glossy, put in dry spices and sliced onion and continue to sauté until the onions looks translucent and wilts.
7. Put in the rest of the ingredients. Return potatoes and chicken into the wok to cook until the gravy reduces to preferred amount.
8. Put in green peas and let it cook for a while. Dish up and serve.

* do not reduce the gravy too much, it is good to mix with rice or dip with bread.
* I cooked twice, once with only 2 chilli and another time added in 2 additional bird's eye chilli (cili padi), both not spicy.

Garlic Rice

Ingredients :

2 cup basmathi rice (I used normal rice so the texture will be more soft)
4 cups water
10 large cloves of garlic, grated
2 heaped Tbsp grated carrots
1 tsp salt
2 tsp butter
Small pinch of turmeric powder for colour




Method :
1. Wash the rice. Drain well.
2. Put everything together and cook.
3. Fluff rice with chopsticks before serving.

* serve it while hot if not the garlic smell will not be as fragrance

Verdit?
Do not deceived by the look of the chicken, although the color is very red and looks very spicy but it is not, the taste is sweet instead. Even my 3 years old can eat although he did say is spicy but he managed to finish all the chicken and potatoes given to him, dear daughter said not spicy at all. All given thumbs up to this delicious dish :D.

This post is linked to the event (July 2014 : Potato), Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted byJasline (Foodie Baker)