Malaysian Chicken Thigh Curry

This Malaysian Chicken Thigh Curry is sure to be a hit with whoever you feed it to. It’s the simplest way I know to cook a curry like this from scratch, using a homemade curry paste.

You’re in for a treat! This curry has to tasted to be believed. You can feel the nourishment in every bite.

I wanted to make a slightly different style curry to the tomato based ones I usually make, but still keep it really simple.

The base for this Malaysian curry is a beautiful curry paste centered around ginger, lemongrass, chili and five spice.

Served up with sweet potato mash and tenderstem broccoli it’s so comforting, which makes it great for autumn or winter evenings.

At the bottom of the post I’ve included instructions for how to make this in a slow cooker, rather than a pan. Using a slow cooker takes it to the next level because of how fall-off-the-bone tender the chicken becomes.

It’s a wonderful way to make this dish because coming home to a hot homemade curry can’t be beaten.

How to Make Malaysian Chicken Thigh Curry

I’m going to walk you through some tips for making this curry. This full recipe PDF is below.

• First you’re going to need to make the curry paste. The paste will make two batches of the curry, so half can be stored in a jar in the fridge.
  
  You’ll be making this in a food processor, but you can use a blender too. If your blender or food processor is too large for a small amount, add a few teaspoons of water to help it blend.
  
  The paste can also be used for soups, stews, noodles, salad dressing, or spread on chicken breast or fish before baking.

• Once you have your curry paste done, you’ll cook that off for a few minutes in a pan with some coconut oil.

• Then add your sliced onions and a little salt until they’re softened.

• Next you’re going to be added your chicken thigh. I use skin on and bone in because you get such a succulent result.
  
• Place them in the pan with skin down, making space form them to touch the pan by pushing them down and giving them a little wiggle.
  
  The reason we want them touching the pan and not sitting on top of the onion is so they get a little browning on them.
  
  A different technique to get them browned even more is to do this stage separately first. I’m trying to make this recipe as simple as possible, so I’ve made it all part of the same process.

• After a few minutes you’ll have some browning on the skin, so use tongs to turn them over.

• Add in the rest of your ingredients and cook for another 30 minutes. I like to do the first 10 minutes with no lid, to thicken the sauce a little.

• 10 minutes before the end I like to add in some tenderstem broccoli. You can of course cook this separately, but I love cooking it in the flavours of the sauce.
  
  If you’re just having a low carb version of this dish, only doing the chicken and broccoli, doing it like this means it can be made in one pan.

• After a few minutes the broccoli will wilt down a bit and sit in the sauce. Having the lid on at this stage helps.

• I’ve served with sweet potato mash, but you could of course serve with rice.

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Slow Cooker Version

As I mentioned above, this slow cooker version is well worth doing because you get such tender chicken.

There are a few steps you’ll want to do in a pan before getting it going in the slow cooker, but from that point on you can leave it to do its thing, so when you come home in the evening, the house smells of this gorgeous curry.

• First you’ll want to cook off the paste in the coconut oil. Then you’ll add the chopped onions, just as before. Once those are done, into the slow cooker they go. It should be set on low. It will be on for 6 hours. If you’re not going to be in 6 hours from starting it, the timer on most slow cookers should keep it warm for you.
  
• Place your chicken thighs skin down in the pan to get some browning.
  
• Whilst that’s happening, add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir. Leave out the broccoli as that will overcook in 6 hours. Either steam that just before eating or add to the slow cooker 45 mins before serving.
  
• Finally add the chicken thighs to the slow cooker with the browned skin facing up. Put the lid on and leave for 6 hours. Unbelievable to come home to on a cold autumn or winter evening.