Ayam Goreng Kunyit (Turmeric Fried Chicken)

This fried chicken is quite popular at the Malay mixed rice or nasi kukus (steamed rice) stalls.

In fact there is a  Chinese stall selling just ayam goreng kunyit served with white rice and fried eggs at one of the coffee shops in Uptown Damansara.

I love kunyit (turmeric) and any meat coated with turmeric powder and simply seasoned with salt and fried is simply divine.  I don't know why I never cooked this before.

In my first attempt, my chicken looked very pale. I was too afraid to add more turmeric powder. I think most recipes call for a modest amount of turmeric powder when in fact you need much more. I should have followed my instincts.

Which I did in my next attempt. But of course you can't add too much or the taste of turmeric would be overpowering. Another thing to remember is to salt the chicken well and fry it longer so that it is properly browned.

And don't overcook the long beans. You want them tender and yet still crisp. 

Ayam Goreng Kunyit

Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :

- 500g chicken, cut into bite sizes (I used a combination of fillet and bone-in)

- 2 tsp turmeric powder

- 1 tsp sea salt

- 6 strands long beans, cut into 1 inch length

- 5 cloves garlic, chopped

-  1 big onion, sliced

Method :

1. Mix chicken with turmeric powder and salt. 

2. Heat oil in wok and shallow fry the chicken in batches (if you pan is big enough you can fry all at once). Fry until browned. Remove and set aside.

3. In the same oil, fry the garlic and onions until the onions are softened and wilted.

4. Add long beans and stir fry briefly (do not overcook).

5. Add fried chicken and toss to mix all the ingreidients.

6. Serve.