Ayam Goreng Berempah (Malay Spiced Fried Chicken)

Steps

▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.

1. 1
   Blend garlic, turmeric, galangal, ginger, and shallots after cutting them into smaller pieces. Add soaked dried chillies (remove seeds and membranes if preferred), then lemongrass (bottom part), and blend until fully combined.
   ▶ ≈0:28
2. 2
   Toast coriander seeds and fennel seeds in a dry pan without oil or water until fragrant, then grind them into fine powder using a mortar and pestle.
   ▶ ≈1:42
3. 3
   Combine the blended paste, coriander powder, cumin, meat curry powder, and ground fennel powder together to make the marinade.
   ▶ ≈2:27
4. 4
   Wearing gloves to protect from turmeric stains, coat the chicken pieces thoroughly with the marinade and salt, ensuring all pieces are evenly covered. Marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
   ▶ ≈3:53
5. 5
   Add fresh curry leaves to the marinated chicken. Heat oil in a cast iron pot over medium heat. Test the oil temperature with a wooden chopstick—when small bubbles emerge, it's ready for frying.
   ▶ ≈4:14
6. 6
   Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil. Remove any large chunks of spice paste to prevent them from burning faster than the meat. Cover with a lid and maintain medium heat, checking every few minutes until the chicken turns golden brown.
   ▶ ≈4:58
7. 7
   Remove the golden-brown chicken from the oil and drain. Fry the remaining spice mixture in batches until no more bubbles appear, then drain. Break up any large pieces of spices before frying if needed.
   ▶ ≈7:18
8. 8
   Top the fried chicken with the crispy fried spice crumbs. These fragrant, addictive spice-coated crumbs are the signature element of the dish.
   ▶ ≈8:05