PANDAN CURRY CHICKEN

This is the first time I cooked curry chicken using pandan juice instead of plain water with coconut milk.  I was quite skeptical about how it will taste and look.  Afraid the curry may look greenish but it wasn't.  Anyway, I was happy with the result after some slight modifications to the original recipe.
Using the Thermal Cooker pot for frying the ingredients is hassle free and quick.  I cooked this curry the same time I cooked the Thermal Cooker - Coca Cola Pork Trotter. 

The original recipe uses 150 ml pandan juice and 350 ml thick coconut milk but I did the reverse by using 300 ml pandan juice and 200 ml thick coconut milk cos' I prefer curries with less coconut milk but aromatic.

This is a lovely curry to cook with the thermal pot.  It is spicy, gravy is thick and has the fragrance/aroma of pandan.  If you notice, the recipe does not have spices like cloves, star anise or cinnamon.

Recipe adapted from my selected Cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event#4 - Ricky Ng's book 'In Love with Pandan' [modified]

Ingredients
1 kg chicken whole leg - cut bite size pieces
3 large potatoes - peeled and cut wedges [about 350 gm]
2 blades pandan leaves - knotted
300 ml pandan juice [blend 6 blades pandan leaves with 300 ml water, strain for juice]
200 ml thick coconut milk
8-10 tbsp oil [about 120-150 ml]
1-2 tsp salt to taste
1-2 tsp sugar to taste
Spice Ingredients A [Blended]
120 gm shallots
5 cloves garlic
2 stalks lemongrass - sliced thinly 
5 red chillies
5 small red chillies
20 gm belacan
Spice Ingredients B
2-3 tbsp meat curry powder [use some to marinate chicken pieces]
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder

1. Marinate chicken pieces with some curry powder and salt.
2. Blend spice ingredients A into a paste.  Mix spice ingredients B into a paste with some water.
3. Heat inner pot of thermal cooker, add oil and spice ingredients A and pandan leaves, saute until aromatic and oil separates.  Add in spice paste B and continue to fry until fragrant.
4. Add in chicken pieces and potatoes.  Stir fry to mix well and add in some pandan juice if it is difficult to stir.  Stir until chicken pieces are firm, add in remaining pandan juice.  Bring to boil and add in salt and sugar to taste.  Taste to adjust seasoning.
5. Let it boil over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add in coconut milk, bring to boil. Off heat and cover the pot with the lid.  Transfer to outer pot, close the lid and leave it to cook for about 2 hours or until cooked through.
6. Dish up and serve with rice.
   
   
   
   

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown Event#4 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray