Family Recipe Singaporean Chicken Curry
I’ve been dreaming about this Singaporean Chicken Curry for 2 weeks. This authentic Peranakan family recipe comes from my Singaporean friend Ryan, using his family’s favorite curry pack. We start by blooming a simple mix of cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, and cloves with fresh aromatics, then let chicken thighs simmer until tender in a rich coconut cream base. The result is a thick, creamy curry that’s full of warm spices, served in 30 minutes with hot rice or fluffy bread.
Peranaken Household Recipe: Coconut Chicken Curry
One of my favorite parts about traveling is always the people that you meet along the way. This trip, I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan in Singapore, who so kindly share his family’s secret homestyle Singaporean curry chicken recipe. This is a recipe that’s been passed down through his Peranaken family for generations. I couldn’t stop thinking about making it once I got home. The curry itself turned out so rich, so creamy, spicy, and bursting with flavor. And the best part, it’s a one pot recipe that is so easy to make at home.
Huge shout out to Mama Shirley for letting us bring home a piece of Singapore with us. It really does feel like carrying a little memory of the trip back to our kitchen. Thank you, Ryan, Mama Shirley and Ryan’s grandmother, for this recipe!
Singaporean Chicken Curry Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground star anise
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 shallot chopped
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 pack curry paste
- 2 tbsp oil
- 10 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
- 2 potatoes
- 1 can coconut cream
- 1 cup Water
- green onions Chopped, for garnish
Extra Aromatic Spice Base
The flavor foundation of this curry comes from two parts working together: the aromatics and the spice blend. Ryan’s family uses a special spice mix: cinnamon, ground star anise, cardamom, and ground cloves. Blooming them in oil with ginger, garlic, and shallots also releases fat-soluble compounds that the paste alone doesn’t have. That’s why this curry tastes richer and more aromatic than if you just tossed in the packet by itself. It packs the curry with so much extra flavor! The moment you add in the spices, the house will smell amazing.
Instant Curry Paste
Instant Curry packs are a staple household product across Singapore and Malaysia. It’s a quick way of getting all the authentic curry flavor without the extra prep. It’s a little spicy, but wow, it makes such a difference. They’re easy to find online through Amazon, or at Asian supermarkets like T&T. If you ever spot this curry pack at your local Asian grocery store, 100% please pick it up and give it a try.
My friend Ryan recommended the A1 Best One Instant Curry Paste for Meat. So, of course I had to pick it up at Little India immediately. This is the exact curry pack his family swears by, and now I totally understand why. The paste itself comes in a 230 grams per pack and is exactly what you need for one family meal. I just add coconut cream, water, chicken, and potatoes for that rich, comforting flavor. It makes cooking dinner so easy!
Chicken Thighs
Using skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs makes this curry a super affordable option for weeknight dinners. As the chicken simmers in the sauce, the skin and bone release flavor into the curry. The meat turns fall-off-the-bone tender, soaking up all those warm spices and coconut cream. By the time it’s ready to serve, you’ve got chicken that’s juicy, flavorful all the way through, and perfect with a big spoonful of rice or bread to catch the sauce.
Coconut Cream
The coconut cream mellows out the heat of the spices and turns the curry into a rich, velvety sauce that’s so comforting to eat. It keeps the flavors bold but balanced, with just the right amount of heat. It’s so smooth and just the right amount of indulgent that you’ll want to keep going back for more. Best part? The cream thickens the sauce enough to soak into rice or to scoop up with a fluffy piece of bread.
How To Make Chicken Curry
- Mix the cinnamon, ground star anise, cardamom, and ground cloves in a small bowl.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot, minced ginger, and garlic. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Sprinkle in the spice mix. Toast 30 seconds, stirring so it does not burn.
- Add the curry paste and the remaining 2 tbsp oil. Fry 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the paste smells aromatic and you see a little oil separating.
- Add the chicken thighs and potatoes. Stir to coat well. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Pour in the coconut cream. Stir and bring just to a gentle simmer, not a boil.
- Use the empty coconut cream can to add water. Start with 1 cup for a thicker gravy, or add a full can of water for a more soupy curry. Stir to combine and return to a gentle simmer.
- Cover with a lid and simmer 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through. Uncover and simmer a few more minutes if you want it thicker.
- Serve hot in a bowl with steamed rice, or with thick bread or roti prata for dipping. Garnish with chopped green onions.
Enjoy Your Chicken Curry with These Yummy Carb Options
Family Recipe Singaporean Chicken Curry
By Tiffy Cooks
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground star anise
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 shallot chopped
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 pack curry paste
- 2 tbsp oil
- 10 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
- 2 potatoes
- 1 can coconut cream
- 1 cup Water
- green onions Chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Mix the cinnamon, ground star anise, cardamom, and ground cloves in a small bowl.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot, minced ginger, and garlic. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Sprinkle in the spice mix. Toast 30 seconds, stirring so it does not burn.
- Add the curry paste and the remaining 2 tbsp oil. Fry 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the paste smells aromatic and you see a little oil separating.
- Add the chicken thighs and potatoes. Stir to coat well. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Pour in the coconut cream. Stir and bring just to a gentle simmer, not a boil.
- Use the empty coconut cream can to add water. Start with 1 cup for a thicker gravy, or add a full can of water for a more soupy curry. Stir to combine and return to a gentle simmer.
- Cover with a lid and simmer 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.Uncover and simmer a few more minutes if you want it thicker.
- Serve hot in a bowl with steamed rice, or with thick bread or roti prata for dipping. Garnish with chopped green onions.
