Great Perk

By FARIDAH BEGUM

Nothing lifts the appetite like a spoon of chicken curry on your rice or bread.

MENTION chicken curry and you have everyone’s eyes lit up. A great perk to waned appetites, chicken curry in a bowl with steam billowing is set to get fingers itching to work on the mound of rice on any plate.

For many, chicken curry is a dish for off-days and weekends when the whole family congregates and it is equally good with the humble roti canai, white rice and even buttered rice, pilaf and briyani.

Every home has a secret recipe and every restaurant, stall and hotel has its own well-kept yellowed book of ingredients to make the perfect chicken curry.

In Indian food establishments anywhere in the world, each outlet has its own variations and it is not wrong to say in the land where curry was concocted, wars have even been started between households as to what makes an unforgettable chicken curry.

Suffice to say, there are no winners as each variation is special in its own way and every husband and child swears by their own wives and mothers!

In Malaysia, the varieties of chicken curry are endless as you have the Indian, Malay, Punjabi, Chinese Nyonya, Thai and even the Indonesian types.

The most common is the Indian style, which is redolent of spices and lots of secret ingredients if it is home cooked. In retail establishments, the test is in the taste and presentation.

It is a difficult task finding the best chicken curry in the country as it would need gourmets and celebrated cooks and chefs to try and give their comments on the chicken curry presented at a competition or gathering.

Every mother would get votes from her own children and every individual who has chicken curry outside their home will vouch for the one that meets his or her own expectation.

For those who want to try their hand at making a good chicken curry at home, the most important criterion is using your personal favourite of chicken parts. In many homes, it has been observed that the drumsticks and the wings are the parts that create petty quarrels, so it would be wise to get enough of these parts to satisfy every plate on the table.

A secret to getting good chicken curry is in not forgetting to add the concoction of pounded young ginger and garlic.

This ingredient will make a world of difference in lifting the taste of the chicken curry and in giving it the kick that would otherwise be smothered by too much curry powder or coconut milk.

A simple chicken curry can be made with a couple of spoons of meat curry powder, some sliced onions, curry leaves, tomatoes, the ginger and garlic paste, salt and pepper along with some yoghurt and coconut milk.

For the health conscious, substitute the coconut milk for low-fat milk and add natural yoghurt for a touch of the authentic curry flavour.

Potatoes are a must if you have children and young adults and don’t forget to add a sprig or two of coriander leaves, which adds to the flavour and colour of the dish. Please skin the chicken, although some would argue that it is the skin that adds to the flavour of the curry.

Ask any cook and they will tell you that letting the curry mature for a few hours or overnight helps make the curry taste even better!

Since chicken curry is often an indulgence, forget the doctor or dietician’s advice and let a little oil float on top of the curry.

Good accompaniment to chicken curry is fried chicken in any style, salads and stir-fried vegetables, especially sweet Beijing cabbage and French beans.

Of late, chicken curry that can be had in stalls and restaurants have actually failed to meet the exacting standards that KLites approve of but of the few that have met the mark, Sunday Metro recommends Tanjung Puteri in Sri Hartamas, Syed Restaurant in Petaling Jaya and Bangsar and in the various Nasi Kandar restaurants along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

SMS SENDERS’ PICK FOR BEST CHICKEN CURRY

> The best chicken curry sitaram curry house in brickfields same row with 7 11.

> I think de bst cicken cury can be tasted at fok heng restaurant in bercham, ipoh

> Green curry chicken (boneless drumstick) at chilli corner thai restaurant no: 10 jln nagore pg. (behind dorsett hotel)

> The best chicken curry in the country availabe at Maj Stall no.47 ah-quee st 10200 pg. The curry chicken called Chicken Kapitan.

> Lotus Restaurant, Jalan Gasing.Superb curry. Shalini.

> Parames chicken curry in Taman Chi Ling, Klang

> Nair chicken curry occupying a Chinese coffee shop in Jalan Station, Klang over 40 years

> The Best chicken curry @ Vinni Jeyaa Banana Leaf Curry House opposite of Pasar Seni lrt stn, sunther, kl

> Finger licking good chicken curry at Sri Paandi Restaurant in Jln Chantek,PJ

> The best curry chicken can an be indulged at rest. Nts nasi lemak sri muda n k.Kemuning. Taste nice. Absolutely Delicious