Name: Kapi Kapitain
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 6 candle nuts, chopped; 8 dried red chillies, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes; 2 x 5-mm cubes belachan shrimp paste, wrapped in foil and grilled until fragrant; 8 fresh long red chillies, seeded and sliced; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; 10 red eschalots, chopped; 8 skinless chicken thighs on the bone; 4 hearts of lemon grass, crushed; 2 cups coconut milk; salt; juice of 1 lime; 5 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 cup coconut cream

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Simply Asian

By Neil Perry

Published 2000

About

Nyonya cooking is a unique blend of Chinese technique and Malay spices, with belachen shrimp paste giving it its distinctive flavour and candle nuts used as a thickening agent. This Nyonya dish of kapi kapitain is an excellent curry to include in a banquet: It is easy to prepare and can be made ahead and successfully reheated the next day.