When I was younger, my parents will drop me off at Grandma’s before they head to work everyday. My parents would then be back for nice but simple home-cooked dinner prepared by Grandma before we heading home. And during special occasions or festive seasons, I remember how she liked to wear the kebaya, gold jewelleries & tie her hair back in a nice wavey bun. I can still remember certain dishes that she used to cook for us. They were all so delicious. It is a pity that no one in the family at that time were interested in aquiring those culinary skills and recipes. And I was too young to remember what she taught me.
Kari Kapitan is a popular Nyonya dish and is served in most Peranakan restaurants. It is a dry chicken curry. It is the use of lemongrass, the yellow and red colour and sweet and sourish taste that makes this a distinctive Nyonya dish. This recipe is adapted from a book call the Nyonya Flavours. It contains many dishes that Grandma used to make. This will be the first of many Nyonya dishes that I will like to master. And I hope that this dish will make her smile 
The roots, the chiilies and kaffir
Ingredients:
- 1.5Kg of chicken pieces (drums & thighs)
- 11/2 tbsp of tumeric powder
- Salt for seasoning
- 1 cups of oil for deep frying
- 400ml thick coconut milk
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 1.5 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 limes
- 11/2 tbsp of light soya sauce
- Deep fried shallots
Marinated chicken
Spice paste (Grind or Ground)
- 400 grams of shallots
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 3cm of ginger
- 2cm of galangal
- 2cm of tumeric
- 6 candle nuts or macadamnia nuts
- 2 stalks of lemongrass (70g)
- 3-6 fresh red chillies (depending how spicy you like it to be)
- 10 dry red chillies
- 20g toasted belacan
Grinded spice paste
Golden brown chicken pieces
Method:
- Marinate the chicken pieces with salt and tumeric and leave it overnight
- Deep fry the chicken pieces till golden brown and drain on paper towel. Set aside.
- Heat at least 1/2 cup of frying oil in a wok to saute the spice paste until it is fragrant.
- Add the chicken pieces and coat evenly with spice paste and cook over a low to medium heat for 5 mins
- Add a little water and allow it to cook the chicken till it is quite dry
- Add the coconut milk, sugar, salt & light soya sauce, kaffir lime leaves. Cover and simmer at low heat till the chicken is tender
- Add the lime juice and mix well
- Serve with rice and topped with deep fried shallots
Cooked kari kapitan in the pot
Kari kapitan served with rice and topped with fried shallots
Vegetables is a must for every meal in this house. To accompany the kapitan, I cooked a really simple stir-fry okra with garlic and chilli. I need to thank Mister for helping me in the kitchen today. He was responsible for deep frying the chicken and did a really good job! We had a little disaster with the shallots but luckily no one was burnt! It was nice having him in the kitchen and making a nyonya meal together. And I am glad that Mister liked the dish as much as I enjoyed making it. The fragrance that filled the house was both very comforting & familiar.
Raw okra
Stir fry okra
The Peranakan culture is very vibrant and colourful. A Peranakan Museum has recently opened in Singapore. I will definitely visit it the next time I return for a visit. This is my first step in keeping a tradition.
Please share you favourite dish that your Grandma or mum has cooked for you.
This is a truly amazing dish. The flavours from different spices formed a new taste which is to die for. Really an amazing dish. Thumb up!
i’m not a big fan of okra, but your chickens really stole my heart.
i love the spice rub!
@th0i3 – leftovers will taste better
@lululu – I don’t mind okra. Will you try to make this dish?
That’s a really flavorful dish made with tender, love and care. It’s really good that you cook together. I love actually the way that you showed in your photo. It’s still crunchy and not slimy. Lovely dish.
Mister is a good cook and a great help in the kitchen. This is a rather dry curry and the crunchy look comes from the deep frying that we did in the beginning. Thanks lovely!
I meant the okra (not being slimy but crunchy), not the chicken. I miss typing the okra. Haha. Sorry about that.
Ar ok! I do not like the okra to be too slimy as well. No problems babe!
Great dishes! I made Okra for the first time and I even liked it raw. It is a wonderful veggie.
There are some amazing flavors in this dish! What a wonderful recipe!
So exotic yet at the same time so do-able! Thanks for posting!
Sounds like a great recipe, I like grandma’ recipes, they’re always the best. Besides this has lots of wonderful spices. I can smell it from here.
@Cookin’ Canuck – It is a lovely dish. Thanks
@eatlivetravelwrite – Will you try it?
citronetvanille – I love spices. Must make use of it while the weather is still chill!
What a beautiful dish. I love the heritage and family history behind it!
Thanks Diana
It has been motivated to research more into the history and culture as well.
Kari kapitan is such a comforting dish … all that lovely coconut milk, spices and moist chicken. Must try your recipe sometime. Usually I’m just too lazy and stick with a sauce of the packet
Brahim’s, anyone? Great blog too.
Packet sauce is always handy to have around
And thanks for visiting. You have a lovely blog too. I will visit often.
I am in awe by how many great spices were used to make this dish, this sounds really good!
I love spices. And I usually have most of it in my pantry
I am glad you like it.
I love anything curry so definitely one thumb up for me. I also love okra very much so another thumb up from me. We always fry okra with eggs….my favourite way. Awesome meal!
Oh yum. I love okra with eggs and I tend to add a lot of chilli paste with it.
Hi Jeroxie,
I enjoyed your story and memories of your grandmother:) My friend just brought me a book from Malaysia on Malaysian cuisine and it talks about Nyonya dishes and history. It was a nice surprise to see your post, as Im trying to familiarize myself with this food. I have another great Nyonyan recipe to try thanks to you:) ~
I have very fond memories of her and the aromas of her kitchen. Thanks for visiting the blog and now I can learn Mexican foods from you too!
it’s getting cold here in new york and this is just perfect for the chilly nights we’ll be getting. certainly the chicken looks tender and flavorful. i envy many food bloggers who have great, fond memories of their grandmother’s cooking. thumbs up for the recipe!!!
I wish I was old enough to learn from her then. And now I am going through cookbooks and memory to re-create her dishes. Alas no one in my family is a good cook
Will you try making this?