Chicken Kapitan - Rick Stein

Kapitan is a Malaysian curry with chicken, coconut, palm sugar, cinnamon and ginger. I particularly like this dish because it uses the thighs of the chicken, which not many people do. It's not too hot and very aromatic, great served with a pint of beer." Luke Taylor, head chef of The Cornish Arms.

© Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey, courtesy of BBC Books, first published in 2009.

Serves 6

Ingredients

 1kg boneless, skinned chicken thighs

 4 heaped tbsp desiccated coconut

 2 tbsp vegetable oil

 400ml coconut milk

 2 x 7.5 cm cinnamon sticks

 1 x star anise

 2 tsp palm or light muscovado sugar

 Salt

 Juice ½ lime

 A handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped, to garnish

For the kapitan curry paste:

6 dried red kashmiri chillies

275 g shallots or onions, roughly chopped

4 heaped tablespoons desiccated coconut

2 tsp five-spice powder

2 tsp turmeric powder

25 g garlic, roughly chopped

50g peeled fresh ginger

4 fat lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed and core roughly chopped

½ tsp shrimp paste

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Steamed rice, to serve

Method

For the kapitan curry paste, cover the dried chillies with boiling hot water and leave them to soak for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat, add the desiccated coconut, and stir it around for a few minutes until lightly golden. Tip onto a plate and leave to cool, then tip into a mini food processor and grind quite finely.

Drain the red chillies, put them into a mini food processor with the remaining ingredients and the toasted coconut and grind everything into a smooth paste.

Cut the chicken thigh fillets into chunky strips. Heat a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat, add the coconut and stir it around for a few minutes until lightly golden. Tip onto a plate and leave to cool, then tip into a mini food processor and grind quite finely.

Return the frying pan to a low heat and add the oil. Add the spice paste and fry gently for 5 minutes, stirring every now and then. Add the chicken strips and fry for 2-3 minutes more.

Add the coconut milk, cinnamon sticks, star anise, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.  Add the lime juice and toasted ground coconut and simmer for 1 more minute. Serve straight away scattered with the chopped coriander.

( Last Updated: 28-11-2011 )