Nonya Chicken Curry or better known as “Kari Kay” was first made for me by Lianne, a good friend of mine who’s now married and living in Germany, just across the border of the Netherlands. It was really delicious but ohhhhh soooooo spicy..I just love it.. 🙂
She gave me a copy of the recipe and I made it a few days ago. I had a little too much turmeric added in and it turned out very yellowish. Nevertheless, it was as delish as I remembered.
Recipe from Nonya Flavours (Penang Straits Chinese Cuisine) which is jointly published by The State Chinese (Penang) Association & Star Publications
“Chicken Curry is considered one of the 8 main dishes served during the feasting on the eve of a Peranakan wedding.”
Ingredients:
- 4-5 tbsp oil
- 1 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1.5 kg meaty chicken pieces (e.g. thighs or drummets) (I used thighs, deboned and cut into large pieces)
- 300g potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 400 ml thin coconut milk
- 100 ml thick coconut milk
- 1 tbsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Spice paste to be ground:
- 30 g or 15 dried chillies, soaked
- 200 g or 20 shallots
- 15 g or 3 garlic cloves
- 20 g belachan, toasted
- 20 g or 2cm turmeric
- 20 g or 3 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 g or 1 tsp cumin powder
- 2 g or 1 tsp fennel powder
Preparation:
- Heat oil in a large pot or deep wok on medium low heat and sautee star anise, cloves and cinammon stick.
- Add in spice paste after a minute and stir-fry well. Add 2-3 tbsp thick coconut milk if it’s too dry and fry over low heat till fragrant and oil separates.
- Add chicken and fry for a minute.Add potatoes and pour in thin coconut milk. Simmer till chicken is tender and potatoes are cooked.
- Lastly, add thick coconut milk and season with sugar and salt, to taste.
- Continue to cook till gravy is slightly thick.
- Serve with boiled white rice or nasi kunyit (turmeric rice) or roti jala.

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Looks good ! Will try it soon! Thanks for sharing!
looks good Chai Leng! but how come yours so yellow one huh? you cut down on the red chillies ka?
lianne, i put a little too much turmeric lah.. n then it tasted a little different from the one u made.. i like it like tat as well.. turmeric does taste good.. 🙂