Singaporean Chicken Curry Recipe (2024)

Where do get pandan leaves??

"Stir until it smells lovely" may be my new favorite direction.

Neat recipe.Like lotteries, "a tax on the innumerate", premade (pricey) curry-mixes leverage naivete. Instead, buy bulk whole-spices (which last years) and grind batches as needed, in a few minutes, with a dry grinder.Also, the homemade stuff's likely better:* Freshly ground spices are more potent: less time to volatilize.* Vendors favor cheap spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, fennel, fenugreek) over pricey ones (cardamom, cloves, nutmeg/mace): ratios may be off versus traditional recipes.

I used skinless bone-in thighs, one tablespoon of ghee and it was delicious. I agree with the other commenter about using whole spices then grinding them as needed. Also in curries I tend to double the spices as written. I always want more flavor.

RE: Sauce too fattyLike most curries, this is best refrigerated overnight- the spices get more time to permeate the meat. The solidified fat at the top can be removed (though you can save and use it for seasoning mashed potatoes instead of butter, or even for making savory omelets.East European Jews used schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) for centuries, and it's quite decent as a cooking fat. I buy skin-on thighs and make chicharrones + rendered fat with the skin.

As a long-time Singaporean fan of the NYT Cooking section, I am puzzled as to how this recipe could be represented as "Singapore curry" - pandan leaves and lime juice, while extensively used in Singaporean cuisine, are ingredients most Singaporean grandma cooks would not think to use here they dramatically change the flavor profile of the dish beyond recognition. Suggestion: substitute with kaffir lime leaves and tamarind juice, and add a knob of minced galangal and lemongrass.

Incredible dish bursting with flavor. Double the spices. Vanilla bean (whole pod, not syrup) worked well as a substitute for pandan.

@Clara - that works too. I use the freezer for bulk-purchased ginger, its cousin galangal, lemongrass stalks & curry leaves.The only ground spices I buy are turmeric, dried ginger & Kashmiri chilli powder, mainly because the whole items aren't readily available, and chili's capsaicin doesn't volatilize significantly at room temp (though habaneros blended in a mixer make you cough). Also, dried turmeric & ginger, rhizomes in the same botanical family, are stone-hard and will bust your grinder.

I really enjoyed this. Doing your prep in little bowls is SUPER helpful.The recipe needs to note that you remove the pandan leaves (also cardamom pods and star anise pod). They are large and inedible. I found them at the Asian market in the freezer case. They were very inexpensive (a package was $1.69, imported from Thailand).I also liked that the coconut milk was more about adding body than flavor, unlike a Thai curry.I also served it with lime wedges for a touch of brightness before eati

I know this is "adapted" but a proper curry would use several tablespoons of spice mix for that amount of chicken. The spice mix is actually cooked until it is toasted and smoky, almost burnt, so the timing really depends on the smell. Also simmer the chicken on low heat for a longer time - typically simmer for over 40 minutes to get the flavours in. Most of the cooking for the chicken should be in the simmering stage, not the frying stage.

As a Singaporean who loves cooking and eating curry, I assure you that this is NOT "Singaporean" curry. Still, it doesn't matter as long as it tastes good. Please skip the pandan leaves. We do not use pandan leaves in our curry unless it is specifically a Malay or Indonesian curry which requires pandan. If you must use a herb, try and get "curry leaves" which should be available at any Indian grocery store.

In additional to Prakash's note; I also buy ground spices and keep them in the freezer. They last indefinitely like that too.

This would be neat to try with tofu and vegetable broth.

Singaporean here, please don't use pandan leave or lime juice to make chicken curry, we use curry powder and curry leave to do it.

Most Asian supermarkets carry it, usually near the lemon grass. Call first. MUCH cheaper than Amazon and they are fresh.

Excellent recipe! You do not need the pandan leaves.

I’m new to cooking curries. So—cardamom pods appear to come in 3 varieties—white, black and green. Which would you use and, generally, what are the differences?Can the seeds or ground cardamom be used instead?

Looks like an interesting dish, but missing vegetables. I'll try this with some red and green bell peppers and maybe snap peas; I'll also follow recommendations below and skip pandan and lime, but add curry powder and lemongrass. And actually, since this dish has so much spice going on already, I might add some persimmons to it to see what happens.

I thought this was really good. Next time, I will marinate for longer, though.I appreciated the readers' suggestions of using paprika for colour and using lamb as an alternative.

I've made this recipe a few times and love it, but one part of the recipe confuses me a bit. It says "Make nasi briyani", then when you click on the link to the nasi briyani recipe, it has most of the same ingredients that are part of the chicken curry recipe. Should I just be cooking rice and adding in shaved carrots, golden raisins, cashews and stirring it all into the curry or is it more involved than that?

Pandan leaf extract is called kewra. Used in kormas in Indian/Pakistani cuisine, and other dishes too. I love the flavor and aroma of kewra.

Double spices except chili. Trim skin on chicken so it’s all crisped up. Use less ghee.

Add lime leaves and lemon grass in place of pandanOnly do HALF RICE

Fantastic curry, surprisingly doable on a weeknight if you plan ahead. I used a 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract in place of the pandan leaves.

Definitely double the spices like others suggest. I didn’t, and wish I had.

Very yummy and not too hard to make. In the future, it would be better to add potato and carrots like other traditional curries and let simmer for longer so the flavor penetrates deeper.

Leave out limeReduce spicesFish out whole pods

Amazing on rice! I used vegan chicken breast and it turned out just perfect.

I followed the advice to double the spices, and it was yummy!

This recipe was delicious. I can’t speak to the Singaporean authenticity, but even with some changes it was great. I used skinless boneless chicken legs, didn’t use pandan leaves and substituted the chili for espelette (I don’t know how they compare), and used a touch of corn starch to thicken the gravy and a touch of sweetener. It was delicious and everyone loved it. If you are not looking for authenticity then I would say this recipe has some wiggle room to produce great results.