Tangy Asam Chicken







500-600gm chicken, cut into medium pieces
2 cups semi thick coconut milk
3 tbsp tamarind juice
1 cup cut pineapples, I used tin pineapple
a handful of chopped laksa leaves/daun kesum
1 eggplant, cut half and half
1 tbsp coriander powder
salt to taste
sugar to taste

Grind spices
8 shallots
4 cloves garlic , 
2 lemongrass, white part only
4 kaffir lime leaves/daun limau purut
2cm fresh turmeric
1in shrimp paste/belacan
1 1/2 tbsp dried prawns (soak in water for 10mins and drained)

10 dried red chillies(soaked in hot water for 15mins, drained and grind into a paste separately)



Grind all the ingredients except dried chillies. The dried chillies grind separately into a paste. Keep aside both pastes.

In a wok, heat 5 to 6 tbsp oil, saute the grind ingredients until aromatic, add in chilli paste as well as followed by coriander powder. Cook until oil floats on top, add in chicken pieces and cook further. Close the lid and leave to cook for 2 to 3mins. Then add in tamarind juice, salt and sugar to taste. Mix in eggplant and coconut milk. Stir to combine and leave to simmer until eggplant cooks. Then finally add in pineapple (as I am using tinned pineapple, it is already soft, if using fresh pineapple, add in with eggplant). Mix in laksa leaves and stir. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally. until you reached the desired consistency. Close fire and dish into a serving bowl.
















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