Onion chicken (Ayam masak bawang)

This classic dish is very popular with the locals, especially in Penang, Kedah and Perlis in the north of Malaysia. The sauce is packed with well-balanced flavours that go really well with the savoury umami tomato rice and Malay-style vegetable medley.

Ayam masak bawang (Onion chicken) Credit: Georgia Gold

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 8 chicken drumsticks
• 2 tbsp ground turmeric
• salt
• 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable oil
• 2 large red onions, finely sliced into rings
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cardamom pods
• 4 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2.5 cm piece ginger, grated
• 2 curry leaf sprigs
• 1½ tbsp chilli powder
• 3 tbsp Malaysian curry powder (for meat and chicken)
• ½ tsp ground fennel
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 2 large red onions, extra, peeled, chopped and blended with 250 ml (1 cup) water
• 1 pandan leaf, knotted and torn
• 3 tsp oyster sauce
• 3 tsp chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1½ tbsp sugar, or to taste
• steamed rice, chapatis or roti canai, to serve

Instructions

1. Coat the chicken drumsticks in the turmeric and 2 teaspoons salt.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until they are nicely coloured and nearly cooked through. Remove from the pan.
4. Place the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and star anise in the same pan and stir well. Add the garlic and ginger, then the curry leaves, chilli powder and curry powder and stir again. Add the ground spices and stir until it becomes an aromatic paste. Add the blended red onion and pandan leaf and stir until the paste comes to a simmer. Stir in the oyster sauce, chilli sauce and ketchup, and season to taste with sugar and salt.
5. Return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat well in the sauce. Add the fried onion, then let the drumsticks cook over low heat for another 10 minutes. Serve with rice or your choice of roti or chapatis.

 

Penang Local by Aim Aris and Ahmad Salim, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $39.99). Photography by Georgia Gold. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.