How to make Chinese chicken curry, a family recipe with a twist
- Curry is served all over the world, and versions made in Hong Kong or Japan vary greatly from those served in India
- Food writer Susan Jung says the dish reminds her of growing up in the United States, where her grandmother made it on weekends
Curry is made all around the world, but most versions differ wildly from those served up in India. There, no respectable cook would think of using a generic, one-size-fits-all “curry powder” as a flavouring for chicken, mutton and seafood; instead, they would make blends from spices that have been toasted, pounded to a powder and tailored to go with whatever main ingredient they are using.
An Indian person would probably look in horror at the curry served in Japan (which tends to be sweet), or Hong Kong. But then, when I visited India, I was puzzled by what was considered to be Chinese food, which tasted like nothing I’d ever eaten before. You can’t call Japanese curry or Hong Kong curry inauthentic, in the same way I wouldn’t call chicken Manchurian in India inauthentic. These dishes have been served to generations of diners, and therefore shouldn’t be dismissed by an outsider, because they are authentic to the people who grew up eating them.
Chinese chicken curry
This is comfort food. When I was growing up in the United States, it’s a dish my paternal grandmother made often for her Saturday dinners or Sunday lunches for the family. And, when I left home, it was a familiar dish to order at inexpensive “rice plate” Chinese restaurants. It’s something I make at home, too, although my recipe is slightly different from my grandmother’s: she didn’t use fish sauce but I do, and I prefer to add coconut milk instead of the canned evaporated milk she used. But it still tastes of home.
Curry powders vary a lot in flavour, depending on the spices used. I use the Koon Yick Wah Kee brand, which is made in Hong Kong. If you like a slightly spicy curry, and there’s not enough chilli in your brand of curry powder (you should taste it, first), add a small amount of cayenne pepper or Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru). It shouldn’t be very spicy though – the flavour should be mild and slightly sweet.
1 fresh chicken, about 1.2kg (42 1/3 oz)
Cornstarch, as needed
Cooking oil, as needed
1 onion, about 250 grams (9 oz)
1-2 garlic cloves
1-2 tsp grated ginger
2-3 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or Korean chilli flakes (optional)
15ml fish sauce
350 grams all-purpose potatoes
Fine sea salt
5 grams granulated sugar
200ml coconut milk
Toasted coconut shreds
1 Cut the chicken into nine pieces: two drumsticks, two thighs, two wings (middle and drumette joints only), two breasts and the lower back. (The upper back, neck, wing tips, feet and carcass bones can be simmered to make chicken broth for another dish.)
