Cook With Love:Chicken Sambal

Chicken sambal is a favourite Malaysian delicacy and there are many variations depending on the maker's cultural and ethnic background. The ingredients and cooking methods decide the variations. Spicy chicken sambal is the most preferred and goes well with white rice and bread. Today I shall share my Indian variations chicken sambal.

Ingredients:
   
A(To Blend)

• 2 big onions
• 10 garlic cloves
• 3 x2 cm garlic 
• 2 stalk lemongrass cut into pieces
• some water

    

B

• 1 big onion , sliced
• bunch of curry leaves
• 2 small tomatoes, diced
• 2 cinnamons
• 3 star anise
• 2 cardamon pods
• 3 tablespoons of chilli powder
• 2 tablespoons of chilli sauce
• 5 tablespoons of cooking oil
• tamarind(lime size),dissolved in 200mls water
• salt as per taste

     

C (For Marination)

• 1 kg chicken, cut into 20 pieces and cleaned
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon salt

Methods:

1. Marinate the chicken with ingredients C , preferably half an hour.
2. Fry the chicken till half cooked.
3. Blend ingredients A coarsely and keep separately.
4. Heat oil and roast star anise, cinnamons and cardamons.
5. Next, add curry leaves and blended ingredients.
6. Cook till the oil surface or turn to light brown colour.
7. Add tomatoes, onions, spoon in the chilli powder and pour the dissolved tamarind.
8. Cook the chilli well or till the oil surface before adding in chilli sauce.
9. Then mix the fried chicken to the sambal sauce and cook for 5-10 minutes in low flame.
10. Finally, finish with salt as per taste.
11. Serve hot with rice or bread.

Tips :

• Better taste can be achieved upon longer or overnight chicken marination.
• Do not fully cook the chicken to facilitate sauce absorption into the chicken later.
• Avoid adding too much of water while blending ingredients A.
• Heating spices in hot oil helps to enhance the taste but ensure it is not burned.
• You may choose to garnish with parsley before serving.
• Dhal curry and rasam would be a great accompaniment for chicken sambal.

Cooking from love is cooking from heart, may you enjoy your hand's miracle today!