Nanyang Chicken Curry with Potatoes
By TW LimPublished on October 18, 2025
Time
2 hours, plus 20 minutes refrigerating
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Curry
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons coriander seeds 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 cinnamon sticks 6 star anise pods 6 whole cloves 2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, cut into 2-inch pieces, and crushed6 makrut lime leaves, partially torn in several places but left whole ½ cup water 2 cups canned coconut milk 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quarteredRempah
10 whole dried arbol chiles 1⅓ pounds shallots, chopped5 ounces (2 to 4) long hot red peppers, stemmed and chopped coarse 3 Thai chiles, stemmed and sliced thin1 (6-inch) piece fresh galangal, peeled and chopped coarse7 garlic cloves, peeled1 (2-inch) piece fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped coarse2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed to bottom 8 inches, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin¾ cup vegetable oil 1½ tablespoons belacan, crumbledBefore You Begin
Belacan is a fermented shrimp paste from Malaysia and Indonesia. It is sold as a firm, moist block and is available in some Asian groceries and online. Similar products from Vietnam and Thailand, typically sold in jars and labeled as shrimp paste, can be substituted. Long hot red peppers can be found in Asian groceries; red serrano or Fresno chiles can be substituted. Serve with steamed rice and a simple vegetable dish, such as stir-fried bok choy.
Instructions
- Toss 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
- Meanwhile, toast 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, and 2 teaspoons cumin seeds in 8-inch skillet over medium heat, shaking skillet occasionally to prevent burning, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer spices to bowl and let cool. Process using spice grinder until finely ground. Set aside.
- Place 10 whole dried arbol chiles in blender and process until finely ground, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl and set aside. Add 1⅓ pounds chopped shallots; 5 ounces (2 to 4) long hot red peppers, stemmed and chopped coarse; 3 stemmed and thinly sliced Thai chiles; 1 (6-inch) piece peeled and chopped fresh galangal; 7 peeled garlic cloves; and 1 (2-inch) piece peeled and chopped fresh turmeric to blender and process to rough paste, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 (8-inch) trimmed, halved, and sliced lemongrass stalks and continue to process to smooth paste, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Return ground arbols to blender and process to combine, about 30 seconds. (It’s fine if a few chile seeds remain.)
- Transfer paste to large Dutch oven and add ¾ cup vegetable oil and 1½ tablespoons crumbled belacan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until excess liquid evaporates and paste begins to stick to pot, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until rempah darkens slightly and its oil separates out, about 10 minutes longer. (You should have about 2 cups of rempah.) Off heat, remove half of rempah and reserve for second batch of curry or sambal tumis. (Rempah can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen up to 2 months.)
- Return pot to medium heat. Add 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 star anise pods, 6 whole cloves, 6 (2-inch) crushed pieces lemongrass (tough outer layers removed), and 6 partially torn whole makrut lime leaves. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add ground spices and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is opaque and is thoroughly coated in rempah, 6 to 8 minutes. Add ½ cup water, scraping up brown bits from bottom and sides of pot. Add 2 cups canned coconut milk and 2 pounds peeled and quartered Yukon Gold potatoes and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and gently simmer until potatoes are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. (During cooking, curry should be spotted with oil. If oil starts to pool, sauce is overreducing. If this occurs stir in ¼ cup water and continue to cook.) Season with salt to taste and serve.
for the curry
for the rempah
Time
2 hours, plus 20 minutes refrigeratingYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Curry
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
6 star anise pods
6 whole cloves
2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, cut into 2-inch pieces, and crushed
6 makrut lime leaves, partially torn in several places but left whole
½ cup water
2 cups canned coconut milk
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
Rempah
10 whole dried arbol chiles
1⅓ pounds shallots, chopped
5 ounces (2 to 4) long hot red peppers, stemmed and chopped coarse
3 Thai chiles, stemmed and sliced thin
1 (6-inch) piece fresh galangal, peeled and chopped coarse
7 garlic cloves, peeled
1 (2-inch) piece fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped coarse
2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed to bottom 8 inches, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin
¾ cup vegetable oil
1½ tablespoons belacan, crumbled
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Curry
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
6 star anise pods
6 whole cloves
2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, cut into 2-inch pieces, and crushed
6 makrut lime leaves, partially torn in several places but left whole
½ cup water
2 cups canned coconut milk
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
Rempah
10 whole dried arbol chiles
1⅓ pounds shallots, chopped
5 ounces (2 to 4) long hot red peppers, stemmed and chopped coarse
3 Thai chiles, stemmed and sliced thin
1 (6-inch) piece fresh galangal, peeled and chopped coarse
7 garlic cloves, peeled
1 (2-inch) piece fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped coarse
2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed to bottom 8 inches, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin
¾ cup vegetable oil
1½ tablespoons belacan, crumbled
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Curry
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
6 star anise pods
6 whole cloves
2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, cut into 2-inch pieces, and crushed
6 makrut lime leaves, partially torn in several places but left whole
½ cup water
2 cups canned coconut milk
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
Rempah
10 whole dried arbol chiles
1⅓ pounds shallots, chopped
5 ounces (2 to 4) long hot red peppers, stemmed and chopped coarse
3 Thai chiles, stemmed and sliced thin
1 (6-inch) piece fresh galangal, peeled and chopped coarse
7 garlic cloves, peeled
1 (2-inch) piece fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped coarse
2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed to bottom 8 inches, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin
¾ cup vegetable oil
1½ tablespoons belacan, crumbled
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Singapore’s chicken curry is a hearty braise of chicken and potatoes hugged by a rich, coconut milk–based broth that’s suffused with chiles, aromatics, and spices. Like countless other Singaporean preparations, this one starts with a rempah: a paste of alliums, rhizomes, and chiles ground in a mortar or blender and then slowly fried until it concentrates and starts to caramelize. Grinding the rempah components in stages helped each break down so the paste was smooth and balanced. Thoroughly frying it encouraged evaporation so that the paste underwent Maillardization and caramelization, leading to the development of hundreds of new flavor compounds that laid the groundwork for the braise’s complex savor. Adding whole spices to the pot and serving them with each portion ratcheted up the curry’s fragrance. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs required no prep and turned beautifully succulent, and using a high ratio of coconut milk to water resulted in a lush, velvety broth.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
Belacan is a fermented shrimp paste from Malaysia and Indonesia. It is sold as a firm, moist block and is available in some Asian groceries and online. Similar products from Vietnam and Thailand, typically sold in jars and labeled as shrimp paste, can be substituted. Long hot red peppers can be found in Asian groceries; red serrano or Fresno chiles can be substituted. Serve with steamed rice and a simple vegetable dish, such as stir-fried bok choy.
Instructions
- Toss 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
- Meanwhile, toast 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, and 2 teaspoons cumin seeds in 8-inch skillet over medium heat, shaking skillet occasionally to prevent burning, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer spices to bowl and let cool. Process using spice grinder until finely ground. Set aside.
- Place 10 whole dried arbol chiles in blender and process until finely ground, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl and set aside. Add 1⅓ pounds chopped shallots; 5 ounces (2 to 4) long hot red peppers, stemmed and chopped coarse; 3 stemmed and thinly sliced Thai chiles; 1 (6-inch) piece peeled and chopped fresh galangal; 7 peeled garlic cloves; and 1 (2-inch) piece peeled and chopped fresh turmeric to blender and process to rough paste, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 (8-inch) trimmed, halved, and sliced lemongrass stalks and continue to process to smooth paste, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Return ground arbols to blender and process to combine, about 30 seconds. (It’s fine if a few chile seeds remain.)
- Transfer paste to large Dutch oven and add ¾ cup vegetable oil and 1½ tablespoons crumbled belacan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until excess liquid evaporates and paste begins to stick to pot, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until rempah darkens slightly and its oil separates out, about 10 minutes longer. (You should have about 2 cups of rempah.) Off heat, remove half of rempah and reserve for second batch of curry or sambal tumis. (Rempah can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen up to 2 months.)
- Return pot to medium heat. Add 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 star anise pods, 6 whole cloves, 6 (2-inch) crushed pieces lemongrass (tough outer layers removed), and 6 partially torn whole makrut lime leaves. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add ground spices and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is opaque and is thoroughly coated in rempah, 6 to 8 minutes. Add ½ cup water, scraping up brown bits from bottom and sides of pot. Add 2 cups canned coconut milk and 2 pounds peeled and quartered Yukon Gold potatoes and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and gently simmer until potatoes are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. (During cooking, curry should be spotted with oil. If oil starts to pool, sauce is overreducing. If this occurs stir in ¼ cup water and continue to cook.) Season with salt to taste and serve.
for the curry
for the rempah
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