Cauliflower & Chicken Coconut Curry

22 January 2020 By

My favourite 3C’s – cauliflower, coconut and chicken cooked in one pot. Using my all time 3 favourite flavour boosting products, Indo, Rendang and Turmeric Spice Magic. My 3C recipe is so, so delicious – you must make Cauliflower & Chicken Coconut Curry.

Ingredients − Serves 6 to 8

  • 4 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 2 tbsp pandan leaves, chopped
  • 1 lemongrass, bashed
  • 2 brown onions, minced
  • 1 tbsp Latasha’s Kitchen Turmeric Spice Magic
  • ½ jar Latasha’s Kitchen Indonesian Turmeric Kari Paste
  • ½ jar Latasha’s Kitchen Rendang Terlagi Lagi
  • 50 ml water
  • 1 kg chicken thigh fillets
  • 6 Royal Blue potatoes, parboiled whole for 15 minutes, then cut into wedges
  • 3-4 birds eye or long red chillies, left whole
  • Salt to taste
  • 200 ml Ayam coconut milk
  • 1 litre water
  • 1 head of cauliflower, parboiled whole, with stems on for 10 minutes. Cool, then remove core, chop stems into 3 cm pieces, break cauli into large florets. Keep aside until required.
  • 400 ml Ayam coconut cream
  • 200 ml water used to rinse out coconut cream tin
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • ½ cup toasted ground coconut paste (kerisik)*

Garnish

  • Lime wedges
  • Store bought fried shallots and garlic
  • More kerisik

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Method

  1. Heat oil in a heavy casserole pot then add cinnamon stick, star anise, lemongrass, pandan leaves, minced onions and Latasha’s Kitchen Turmeric Spice Magic.
  2. Cook for 15 minutes on low heat until the onion is caramelised and golden in colour.
  3. Next add Latasha’s Kitchen Indonesian Turmeric Kari Paste and Rendang Terlagi Lagi Paste and 50 ml water. Cook this sauce for 10 minutes on medium heat then add chicken fillets.
  4. Seal the chicken in the paste over high heat for a few minutes until it’s no longer pink.
  5. Add potatoes, red chillies, salt to taste, coconut milk and water. Bring to a quick boil over high heat for at least 3 minutes, then cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. At this point add cauliflower florets and diced stem, coconut cream, half a can (200 ml) water and prepared ground kerisik, and gently simmer covered with a lid until tender approximately 20 minutes.
  6. Gravy should be reduced and thick.
  7. Garnish with lime juice, fried shallots, fried garlic and kerisik.
  8. Serve with steamed rice or rice cakes (lontong).

TIP: This recipe can be made with just one full jar of either paste but it will not have the complexity that this combination brings. Different vegetables like Chinese cabbage, zucchini, carrots, green beans, corn, eggplant or mushrooms can be added for more flavour.

If you desire a richer coconut flavour, replace 200 ml tin Ayam Coconut Milk with 400 ml.

KERISIK*

Kerisik (ground toasted coconut) is used to thicken curries naturally in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine. It adds an unmistakable boost of nuttiness to coconut based gravies. It also imparts a wonderful richness of colour and fragrance to the dish. You can add kerisik at the beginning of the dish and more towards the end as a garnish.

Once made, it can be stored in your fridge or freezer and used whenever needed. The colour should be dark brown, texture fairly smooth and oily, almost resembling melted dark chocolate.

To make kerisik use frozen coconut which has been defrosted. Pan fry in a wok with no oil over medium heat until it turns a nutty dark golden brown. No white bits of coconut must remain but be careful not to burn it. Burnt coconut will be black, what we want is crispy dark brown coconut. This can take almost 25 minutes and must be continually watched and turned. It’s best made ahead of time.

Cool toasted coconut then crush in a spice blender or use a mortar and pestle.

Alternatively spread the defrosted coconut thinly on a lightly greased baking tray. Then bake in fan forced oven at a low temperature of 140˚C until golden brown. It can take 40-60 minutes and must be turned over half way.