Tender chicken cooked in a spicy and rich tomato sauce, ayam masak merah is easily one of the most flavourful dishes out there. Most commonly served during Hari Raya, ayam masak merah is available all year round, generally at your local Malay hawker stalls or restaurants. Recreate this ayam masak merah recipe at home and serve it with nasi tomato for a heavenly meal.
Meal: Lunch, Dinner Cuisine: Malay
Preparation time: Cooking time: Total time: Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
Marinade:
1kg of chicken (portions)
1 tsp of ground turmeric
1 tsp of salt
Paste:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ginger, sliced
1 stalk of lemongrass, bruised and sliced
1 red chilli
1 tbsp of water
Main:
60ml of vegetable oil
1 tsp of sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 star anise
1 lemongrass, bruised
3 tbsp of tomato purée
3 tbsp of tomato ketchup
250ml of water
1 onion, sliced into rings
Equipment
1 bowl
A food processor
1 saucepan
Paper towels
Directions
Add chicken to a bowl and sprinkle turmeric and salt. With your hands, rub the marinade in and set it aside.
Add onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, red chilli, and water into a food processor. Blend until paste forms.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add oil and sugar.
Add the marinated chicken in batches and cook for a minute on each side until brown. Remove from the pan and set aside on paper towels.
Remove the oil from the saucepan, leaving only 2 tablespoons worth.
Toast the cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise for 30 seconds on medium heat.
Add in the paste and lemongrass and fry for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Scrape the base of the pan to incorporate any sticky bits left over from searing the chicken.
Add in tomato purée and ketchup and stir to mix.
Add the chicken back in, and mix until it is thoroughly coated with the paste.
Add water and bring it to a boil.
Turn the heat down to the lowest setting, close with the lid, and let it simmer for 45 minutes.
At the 40-minute mark, add in the sliced onion rings, stir to mix, and continue to simmer.
Serve immediately.
The Perfect Ayam Masak Merah
Perfect this ayam masak merah recipe with these two tips and tricks.
Marinate the chicken for as long as possible. The longer you marinate, the better the taste.
Cook the paste until the oil begins to separate itself. This is an indication that it is cooked perfectly and the flavours are well infused.
Missing some ingredients?
Instead of travelling to your local supermarkets to get groceries, simply order them online with pandamart. Get your chicken, ground turmeric, and tomato ketchup, and we’ll get our experienced riders to deliver them to you in 20 minutes.
