One Pan Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce (Ayam Masak Merah)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: AiPing | Curious Nut
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Malaysian
Serves: 5
Ingredients
- 5-7 bone in skin on chicken thighs (2 - 2⅓ lb)
- Spice paste
- 15 shallots (short variety), peeled
- 1″ ginger, peeled and roughly sliced
- 1″ galangal (blue ginger root), use knife to slice skin off and roughly chop
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 8 dried cayenne chilies, deseeded and soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
- 2 stalks lemongrass, white parts only, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 cardamoms
- 2 lemongrass green parts from spice paste (cut into 3" length)
- 1 large onion, finely sliced
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1½ - 2 tbs brown sugar
- 1½ tsp salt or to taste
Directions
- Place all the ingredients for the spice paste in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. I mix in the turmeric to the paste when frying so that I don't stain my blender.
- Heat a wide pan over medium high heat. Add ½ tsp oil. When the pan is hot, add the chicken skin side down and sear for 3-4 minutes each side. Set aside.
- In the same pan, over medium high heat, fry the onion until soft. Set aside.
- In the same pan, over medium heat, add the spice paste (and turmeric powder) and fry for 5 minutes. Add water one tablespoon at a time if it seems dry (don't let it burn). Add the whole spices and continue to fry for another 5 minutes (again adding water if necessary).
- Turn the heat to medium high and add the tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add the chicken and onion and stir so the sauce coats the chicken. The chicken will start to absorb the sauce. Add the water and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiled, stir in the sugar and salt. Turn the heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes. (If you want the chicken to be super soft (and if you have time), simmer covered for 1 - ½ hours).
- Uncover, turn the heat to medium low and simmer for another 20 minutes or until sauce has reduced and thicken to your desired consistency. Stir occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with steamed rice.
Notes
1. If you like the sliced onions to have some crunch, add them later.
2. I buy my spices from Mountain Rose Herbs because I can easily buy most of them under one roof - cayenne chilies, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, & cardamom pods.
3. Cayenne chilies are spicy . If you use a milder type of dry chili, you'll have to double or maybe even triple the amount in this recipe. To give you an idea, cayenne's spiciness scale is 30k - 50k while Jalapeno or Fresno is only 3k - 10k. Serrano or Holland chilies are about 10k - 20k while Thai bird's eye chilies are 100k.
4. Shallots (short variety) and galangal (blue ginger root) can be found in Thai or Chinese markets.
2. I buy my spices from Mountain Rose Herbs because I can easily buy most of them under one roof - cayenne chilies, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, & cardamom pods.
3. Cayenne chilies are spicy . If you use a milder type of dry chili, you'll have to double or maybe even triple the amount in this recipe. To give you an idea, cayenne's spiciness scale is 30k - 50k while Jalapeno or Fresno is only 3k - 10k. Serrano or Holland chilies are about 10k - 20k while Thai bird's eye chilies are 100k.
4. Shallots (short variety) and galangal (blue ginger root) can be found in Thai or Chinese markets.
Recipe by Curious Nut at https://www.curiousnut.com/one-pan-chicken-in-spicy-tomato-sauce-ayam-masak-merah/