Ayam Pedas (Chicken in a Spicy Gravy)

Description:
This recipe is adapted from The New Mrs Lee's Cookbook Nyonya Cuisine by Mrs Lee Chin Koon.

This dish has a fragrant delicious flavour. The aroma is just nice and it is not as heavy as most of the Indian curries. It's just nice to accompany hot steam rice. I need to change some of the ingredients since I don't have all of the spices as listed in the original recipe.

Ingredients:
500 g chicken thigh fillet, cut into 4 pieces
1 large carrot, cut into 1.5 x 4 cm stick
a small bowl of cabbage, cut into 1.5 x 4 cm
300 mL water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp oil


Spice:
0.25 tsp turmeric powder
0.5 cup finely ground sauteed red onion
3 tsp hot paprika powder
2 tsp sauteed shrimp paste (bagoong), Barrio Fiesta

5 slices galangal, 4 mm thick per slice
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3 and bruised



Directions:
Heat oil and brown the chicken pieces. Add spices except galangal and lemongrass. Once the spices becomes fragrant, add galangal and lemongrass. Add water, salt and sugar and simmer for 5 minutes.

Take out the chicken pieces and put it in a bowl. Put the vegetables and boil for 3 minutes. Put back the chicken and cook at medium heat for another 5 minutes.