Balinese Chicken Curry - The Flavours Of Bali

Indonesia, and Bali specifically, is a great place to travel to. There are several aspects of Bali that has tourists across the globe swarming to the place. From the beautiful beaches to the enriching culture, there is a lot left to be explored when it comes to Bali. And this includes the Balinese food too. The cuisine of the place is unique, diverse and consists of several mouth watering recipes.

Many local dishes are a must try when you visit Bali, like Nasi ayam and nasi campur, Babi guling and Nasi goreng. There are a few dishes that still stay under the radar and are not widely popular amongst the tourists. One such dish is the Balinese style chicken curry. It is easy to make, quick and comes out delicious. Here is the recipe for the dish.

• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 400ml light coconut milk
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 8 small skinless chicken thigh cutlets
• 1 bunch baby pak choy, halved lengthways
• 1 bunch choy sum, trimmed, halved
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
• Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
• Lime halves, to serve
• For the curry paste:
• 1 red onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cm piece fresh ginger, chopped
• 1/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1 long red chilli, roughly chopped, plus extra sliced chilli to serve
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 4 fresh curry leaves
• 2 tbsp lime juice

Balinese chicken curry is served with lemon halves | Unsplash

• Make curry paste: process onion, garlic, ginger, peanuts, chilli, ground coriander, turmeric and curry leaves in a food processor until finely chopped. Add lime juice. Process until mixture is almost smooth.
• Heat 1/2 the oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add curry paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to the boil.
• Add chicken. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Uncover. Turn chicken. Simmer for a further 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a wok over high heat. Add pak choy and choy sum. Cook, tossing occasionally, for 5 minutes or until just tender and starting to char.
• Sprinkle curry with coriander and extra sliced chilli. Serve with steamed rice, lime halves and greens.

This Balinese chicken curry is rich in flavour and goes well with rice for lunch and dinner both. Replicate this recipe at home and get a taste of Bali on your own dining table.