A Delicious and Less Spicy Curry from Malaysia

Not every curry dishes are identical. Here is one of the most delicious curry I ever made and yet is not as spicy as many people believed. It is known as Kapitan Chicken.

Most westerners who find the taste of oriental cuisine is just too heavy for them, and therefore unwilling to try. This is a dish that is not so spicy and so should be acceptable by individuals throughout the world. The name of this cuisine is known as kapitan chicken, an authentic Nyonya dish originated from Malaysia.

The name is derived from a fun story during the British colony time.According to the folklore, there was a Chinese cook who worked for a British captain was curious to discover more about Malay cooking. He knew that there was another Malay woman who can cook wonderfully in the same ship. He decided to ask from the lady on how to cook the dish that she was preparing for dinner. The Malay lady said she was preparing a traditional curry dish, and show him how to cook.

The best kapitan chicken are available in Penang and Malaka which were colonized by the British and Portuguese from 15th to 19th centuries.The Chinese and Malay who stayed here have created many western food with a touch of Asian influence.Kapitan chicken still maintain the bursting myriad of flavors of the exotic Malay dishes but has been revised to tantalize the taste buds of the westerner.The chicken is juicy, tender and aromatic.The secret is to marinate and deep-fried the chicken before it is simmered in a pot of bubbling hot coconut milk.

The key characteristic of chicken kapitan is the use of the classic Malay spices and herbs but less spicy as when compared to classic Malay curry.The main herbs and spices used are turmeric, lemongrass, onions, garlic and ginger. The outcome is a curry that is more appropriate to the taste bud of the Chinese who does not normally consume spicy food as much as the Malays. A number of the less frequently used spices among the Chinese such as fenugreek, cumin and fennel are left out from the recipe. Even so, coconut milk is still used abundantly much like in the traditional curry recipe.

Kapitan chicken is a refreshing alternative to the regular Western meals as it is prepared with a lot of asian herbs and spices.Many westerners as well as some Asian are not able to take on fiercely hot cuisines particularly those original recipes from Malaysia, Indonesia and India. Kapitan chicken is ideal to eat in conjunction with plain rice or flat bread. This is because the thick sauce of this dish complements well with food that is plain in nature. You can check out http://www.cookmalaysianfood.com if you want to learn more about Malaysian food particularly Kapitan chicken in more detail.