Bento Singapore Chicken Curry Amsterdam - Cook a Pot of Curry Day

As a finale for the now famous facebook event Cook a Pot of Curry Day in Singapore (you can read more here), I made a bento with the rest of the chicken curry I cooked on Sunday 21 August. As with many types of curry around the South East Asia regions, this dish taste even better on the second day. Here is my take on a very Asian dish in a very Amsterdam setting. The roof, big open windows and not forgetting the typical Amsterdammetjes were made from nori seaweed.

Amsterdammetjes (Literal translation: little one from Amsterdam) in real life are little red-brown poles that can be found along sidewalks of Amsterdam. All of them bear the sign XXX, which is the coat of arms of Amsterdam. Interestingly, there is never a really straight Amsterdammetje, they are always slanting someway or another, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes with a dent here and there, which I like, because I think each of them tells a story.

The same goes for the buildings, especially the older buildings along the canals. I think this has got to do with the soft soil foundation under the buildings. My apartment is also severely slanted. But I really don't mind it nowadays (after taking out the wheels from the computer chair, that is. hahahaha!)

Singapore Chicken Curry Bento from Amsterdam

Cook a Pot of Curry from Singapore to Amsterdam

So this is my take on the Cook a Pot of Curry event which was created to promote harmony, respect and tolerance for each other's culture. Oh yes, and in case you are wondering where's the chicken in this Chicken Curry Bento.... there is only 1 little piece left tucked under all the potatoes and the rest of the chicken was already eaten up because I couldn't resist it :D

Singapore Chicken Curry - Part 2 - Cook a pot of Curry Day

As I said in my previous post, this is one of the many dishes that I would say is a typical soul food for many people in Singapore. Sometimes if I get desperate, I will get this Prima Deli Singapore Curry instead. BUT!!! this doesn't happen often, especially in my area because its soooo rare to see all these Prima stuffs even in the Amazing Oriental, one of the biggest asian supermarket here in the Netherlands. So what I found myself doing, is making everything from scratch. I know it can sound very scary for some folks, but its not that difficult actually. Scroll down for the recipe I usually go by. Happy Cooking!

Picture credit: http://www.rockman.com.au

Ingredients: Serves 4

1 piece of fresh ginger (about 3cm, peeled and coarsely chopped)
7 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
10 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup of Singapore Curry Powder ( see previous post)
1/2 cup water
1 whole chicken with skin intact (cut into 15-20 bite size pieces)
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups coconut milk (make sure its the runny type. Coconut cream can also be used instead, but do go easy on it)
500grams small potatoes, peeled and halved.
Salt to taste
French Bagette cut into serving slices.

How to:
- Using a mortar and pestle, pound first the ginger, then the garlic and lastly the shallots, until they are a fine mixture. If a mortar and pestle is not available, the ingredients can also be finely grounded with a blender or food processor.

- Mix the curry powder with the water and blend to a paste. Mix half the curry paste with the pounded ginger, garlic and shallot mixture and then rub all over the chicken pieces. Marinate at least 30 minutes.

-Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. The oil should be very hot. (If you add a tiny drop of the curry paste, you should be able to see/hear it sizzle pretty violently. ) Add the remaining curry paste and quickly stir fry for about 3 minutes or until the paste is fragrant and turns dark brown.

- Add the marinated chicken and reduce heat to medium and stir constantly for around 10 minutes.

-Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes and salt and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are tender and potatoes cooked.

-This dish is traditionally served hot with fresh warm French Bagettes to soak up the deliciously thick gravy.

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Singapore Chicken Curry - part 1 - Cook a pot of Curry Day

This is a recipe I got from one of my friends when I was still living in Singapore.  This certainly falls under the list of soul food for many Singaporeans who are living overseas. Of course, if one gets really desperate, there is always this Prima Deli Singapore Curry pack. BUT!! if its not available, make your own! Its not that difficult actually. Please scroll down :)

Picture credit: http://rockman.com.au

Here goes the recipe that found its way into my collection:

Masala Powder (or Curry Powder if you like) for this dish. This powder recipe yields about 1 1/2 cups.
Ingredients:

2/3 cup coriander seeds
1/2 cup cumin seeds
1/4 cup anise seed
1/4 cup dried chili peppers
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cardamom 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3 tablespoon tumeric powder
1 whole clove

[Before I begin, please be considerate to your neighbours and switch on the kitchen ventilation!! Otherwise you might just end up like the poor Singaporean family here who got into trouble when their new neighbours from China called in the Singapore authorities. Nowadays this family can cook curry only when his neighbours are not around! If the Singaporean family still continues to cook curry when the neighbours are present, the apartment of the Singaporean family will be confiscated and they will be made homeless in their own country. Crazy, isn't it?]

-Add all the ingredients above and dry-roast them over low heat in a wok. Stir constantly so that the spices do not burn.

-Just as they begin to turn brown and you can smell the fragrance, remove them from the wok. After its cooled, grind them up into till they are about the size of coffee powder. Store this mixture in a airtight container and they should be able to keep for a few months in the fridge.

I will put up part 2 of this recipe in the next post. [just in case you have unexpected visitors knocking on your door by now :D ]

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