Kuzi Ayam (Chicken Kuzi)

Back to Malay recipes - a chicken one this time. Unusually for Malay recipes this one contains no chilli and has a very fragrant and slightly sweet sauce. It is therefore ideal for chilliphobes. This dish probably came to SE Asia from the Middle East.

Kuzi Ayam (Chicken Kuzi)

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 kg/2 lbs chicken pieces (approximately 4 quarters), cut into 12 pieces in total
pinch of saffron strands (about 8)
125 ml/ ½ cup cooking oil
4 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3-cm/1.25 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced finely
250 gms/1.25 cups tomato sauce (not ketchup)
3 tbsp condensed milk
125 ml/ ½ cup evaporated milk
125 ml/ ½ cup water
Salt to taste
15 almonds, fried and drained
50 gms/2 tbsp sultanas (yellow raisins), fried and drained

Kuzi spices – grind finely
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
4 cloves
3 cardamoms
1 piece mace

Procedure
Wash chicken pieces to remove bits of splintered bone. Wipe dry with kitchen paper. Rub chicken pieces with salt and saffron strands and set aside for a few minutes.

Heat cooking oil in a pot and fry chicken until cooked. Remove and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.

Heat ghee or butter in a pan and fry onion, garlic and ginger until soft. Add kuzi spices and stir fry until fragrant.

Stir in tomato sauce, both types of milk and water. Stir and leave to boil. Once sauce begins to bubble, add fried chicken and cook until gravy thickens. Season with salt to taste.

Sprinkle with fried almond, sultanas and mix well.

Best served with briyani rice.


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