Name: The "Real" Singaporean Chicken Curry
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Singaporean
Ingredients: ¼ cup coconut oil (it’s better for you! avoid using canola or vegetable oil!); 3 tablespoons curry powder; 1kg chicken drumsticks, brined in 1 tablespoon salt; 3 stalks lemongrass, white part only, smashed; 3 cups water, or more as needed; 1½ teaspoons salt; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1kg potatoes, skinned, quartered and parboiled (see notes); 400ml coconut cream, adjust according to personal preference; 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or more to taste; 1-2 cubes chicken stock; 650 grams small red onions or shallots (about 6), peeled & roughly quartered; 12 cloves garlic; 2 knobs ginger; 1 tablespoon, bottled pre-minced galangal (see notes); 3-6 red chillies, sliced (deseed if preferred); 10-15 dried chillies, rehydrated (adjust according to preferred spice level); 5 candlenuts; 5 cardamoms; 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds; handful of curry leaves (optional); 1 piece 4-inch cinnamon stick; 1 teaspoon coriander seeds; ½ teaspoon fennel seeds; 3 star anise; 10 cloves

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Chicken Curry is a creamy, slightly spicy dish that is close to the hearts and homes of Singaporeans. It’s so delicious and super easy to make.

It’s a little hard to say which recipe is the gold standard or to even give this homemade dish an official name (we just call it “chicken curry”) as every household has their own way of cooking it. For example, my mum made hers with yoghurt instead of coconut milk, to cut down on calories. And she would sometimes omit the rempah (spice paste) for a quicker curry whenever the craving struck.

Rempah is a Malay word that refers to a “spice paste” made up of ginger, garlic, onion and chillies

To say whose mum (or dad) made the best, or most “correct” version of it, is a debate no true blue Singaporean would ever get into. Simply because we have never met a chicken curry we didn’t like. We love them all…..

…. until a video of a rather grey, watery and unappetising version of Singaporean Chicken Curry (made by a non-Singaporean, no less) was shared on @nytcooking’s instagram page on 2nd February 2022, irking many Singaporeans.

@mrbrownlah Kim Huat has a few things to say about the @nytcooking “Singapore” Chicken Curry. #sgtiktok #tiktoksg #fyp ♬ original sound – mrbrown

The Chicken Curry Conundrum

The video featured a Taipei-based American freelance journalist, Clarissa Wei, cooking a rather unattractive dish she called “Singaporean Chicken Curry“. It outraged so many Singaporeans for its inaccurate depiction of this beloved dish that the post quickly went viral in the short 9 days it was up online.

Many netizens, including our very own Mr Brown, scoffed at how the strangely coloured concoction resembled “longkang water” or “drain water” instead of actual curry. Another protested the use of pandan leaves and lime juice in the recipe.

@sgag_sg Ngl it looks like our local longkang 🥵🌊🌊 #sgchickencurry #sgtiktok #food ♬ Without me by Eminem – 👛

Whatever the complaint, everyone agreed on two things – that it was neither curry nor Singaporean.

So how did the New York Times get it all so wrong? Apparently, the original recipe by Sheila Das was for Nasi Briyani not Chicken Curry and somehow got misprinted due to a miscommunication.

The recipe has since been corrected, while the “offensive” video taken down . NYT Cooking also tried to clear the air with this post, but made no apology for causing the meltdown of thousands of Singaporeans.

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Now that the drama has died down, one question remains: What is Singaporean Chicken Curry?

Does a generic one even exist in our multi-racial country of Malays, Indians, Chinese and Eurasians that we can all call our own?

I shall attempt to explain what I understand of this chicken curry conundrum.

What is curry in the first place?

What defines curry, anyway? It is safe to say, the common ingredients in an Indian-style curry include ginger, onion, garlic, coriander, turmeric, cumin and red chillies. But where did curry come from?

Well, as we all know, curry originated in India, but did you know the Portuguese had a part to play in its creation? If it weren’t for 15th century Portuguese traders who brought chilli to India, curry today might not have that tongue-tingling zing we all love.

Fast forward to the 19th century when the British Colony established themselves in India, and suddenly “curry” became the English word to describe all Indian cuisine that wasn’t rice-based or bread. The Tamil word “kari” actually means “sauce” and originally referred to a specific dish.

So addictive were these spice-laden concoctions, that the British invented curry powder as a convenient way to recreate curries, without having to figure out what exact spices (and in what amount) go into each different dish.

Curry was invented by the British. Wait… what?

Not only is traditional Indian curry never made from curry powder (it’s made with only fresh ingredients and a combination of ground and whole spices), the word “curry” was never used by Indians to describe their saucier dishes.

An Indian food blogger, offended by curry’s imperialistic history, even tried to cancel the word “curry” back in 2021. But as Shakespeare once said, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose. By any another name would smell as sweet.” Or as scrumptious, in this case.

No matter how it came about, I’m thankful for curry powder. It means we can all easily whip up a delicious pot of curry anytime. And because of the spice trade, there are now many different mutations of curry enjoyed around the world – Philippines, Jamaica, South Africa, China and Maldives (to name a few).

So can it be called Singaporean Chicken Curry?

When I asked my mum about the chicken curry she made for us growing up and whether she could define what makes it Singaporean, her reply was simple. “There’s no such thing. Just like there’s no such thing as Singapore Noodles. It’s a name other people give to a dish they think reminds them of Singapore.”

Spot on, mothership (PS: that’s what I call my mum who also goes by mumstars and meeloks depending on which of her three offspring are addressing her)!

Just like the word “curry” and “curry powder” were British inventions, Singaporean Chicken Curry is essentially a misnomer. It doesn’t actually exist in Singapore, quite like how Hainanese Chicken Rice does not exist in Hainan, China itself. Such is the beauty of food and it’s evolution.

Still, I wasn’t satisfied.

There had to be something – a flavour profile, certain ingredients or a specific cooking style – to define this dish as Singaporean. Especially since our homegrown brand Prima Taste has packaged “Singapore Curry”!

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What defines Singaporean Chicken Curry?

Upon further investigation and discovering several other Singaporean Chicken Curry recipes online, I noticed that it had four defining ingredients (also present in Prima Taste’s Singapore Curry premix):

lemongrass
shrimp paste
curry powder
coconut milk

There were recipes that added aromatics like pandan leaves or even lime leaves. I also noticed a strong resemblance to Malaysian Chicken Curry, which is no surprise considering Singapore was once part of Malaysia.

I HEREBY DECLARE, IT CAN BE CALLED SINGAPOREAN CHICKEN CURRY!

Calling it Singaporean Chicken Curry, in my humble opinion, simply differentiates it from other curries from around the world. For example, Indian, Thai and Japanese curries all differ in preparation, cooking methods and flavour.

Unlike Japanese curry, Indian curry never uses curry powder or flour. Japanese curry is thickened, not by rempah, but by a roux. While curry powder is used in many non-Indian Asian curries. it’s not used in Thai curry (nor in Eurasian Curry Devil). Among the medley of herbs and aromatics present in Thai Curries, you’ll also find shrimp paste or fish sauce used as an umami-booster .

Fun Fact: Did you know Japanese Curry was used as a remedy for beri-beri. It was first introduced by the British who brought curry powder from India to Japan in the Meiji Era (1868-1912). It became popular in the early 20th century when a part-curry, part-stew variation was adopted by the Japanese navy. Served with potato and carrots, this nutritious meal helped prevent sailors from developing thiamine deficiency while at sea. It has since been adapted using ingredients more suited to the Japanese palate.

But what qualifies this curry as “Singaporean”. Well, if you consider the cooking style and ingredients in this curry, you’ll notice that it borrows from the four main races of Singapore.

Singaporean Chicken Curry is multi-racial

Lemongrass, galangal (blue ginger) and candlenut are ingredients used in Straits Chinese cooking. Whole spices in my recipe are tempered in oil, just like it is done in Indian cooking. Coconut milk, while used in some Indian curries, is commonly used in Malay food.

And the Eurasian part?

Well, I guess you could consider the curry powder somewhat Eurasian as it was invented by the British. (Ok that’s me trying to add my minority race into the mix.) And since it’s made by me, a true blue Eurasian woman, I declare this recipe the “REAL” Singaporean Chicken Curry! hahahah!

Fun Fact: Did you know that the word “Eurasian”, used to describe people of mixed Western and European ancestry, was first coined in mid-19th century British India. This creole-like race, however, has been around in the South East Asian region since 1511 thanks to Portuguese traders who first arrived in Malacca. These early Eurasians spoke Kristang and were called “Serani”, a Malay word that refers to “the people of the Jesus of Nazarene”, as they were Catholic Christians. Eurasians are also sometimes called “graguk”, a derogatory word which means “shrimp”.

My Version of Singaporean Chicken Curry

The consistency of some curries in Singapore – especially the chicken curry found at the ubiquitous Chinese “economy point-point rice” stalls – while tasty, can be more like “soup” than curry.

I don’t know about you, but I like my curry with some substance.

To thicken my curry, I use three key ingredients – candlenut, rempah and coconut milk. If you want to modify this recipe, you can lower the amount of onions and garlic to yield a thinner curry. Or simply add more water. You could also use less coconut milk.

It’s a matter of personal preference, what ingredients you have in your pantry and how much time you have to spare. If you would like to switch out ingredients or change the amounts of certain things in this recipe, it is important to understand each ingredient and the purpose it serves.

about the ingredients

Chicken

I love drumsticks in my curry but you can use bone-in chicken thighs too. I would not recommend using chicken breast or wings in this recipe. Chicken breast will end up rubbery and inedible while chicken wings are just too boney and difficult to eat without using your hands. It’s fine to use a whole chicken cut into parts, but an all drumstick curry is ideal.

To season the chicken all the way through, I brine it overnight. You could choose to marinate it in the rempah (spice paste) mixed with curry powder, but I prefer to cook these separately. It’s a personal choice.

Potatoes

I use a whole kilo of potatoes to soak up the curry sauce. You will regret it later if you use less! Plus I think this recipe nails the potato: meat: sauce ratio perfectly. You could even add tau pok (little tofu puffs) for its wonderful sauce-soaking abilities.

Sugar

Sugar balances the spices and mellows out the heat from the chillies. It also helps to counter any acidity or bitterness. Some people prefer their Chicken Curry sweeter, but don’t add too much. Be mindful that coconut milk will also add some sweetness. The sugar in the curry also helps to darken it. It adds to the entire alchemy of the dish and should not be omitted. You can substitute white sugar with palm sugar or brown sugar.

Chicken Stock Cube

This adds some savoury saltiness to the curry and you can opt to use it or not. I recommend stock cubes over chicken stock as it allows you to intensify the flavour of the dish without adding more liquid.

Red Chillies and Dried Chillies

Most Asian kitchens will have dried chillies as they last forever if stored correctly. So why are we using both in this dish?

Dried chillies are commonly used in Eurasian Devil Curry to give it it’s distinct reddish hue (my version is yellow thanks to turmeric) without adding too much heat. Dried chillies have a less spicy kick than the fresh version, while adding a sweet smokiness.

Using both in the right amount creates a desirable colour and a more balanced spiciness than using all fresh chillies. However, depending on what you have on hand and what level of heat you are aiming for, you can use just fresh or dried chillies.

Double the amount of dried chillies in this recipe if omitting the fresh red chillies. Add 1-2 more fresh red chilli if omitting the dried variety. If using the smaller but more fiery chilli padi, halve the amount of the bigger red chillies recommended below and for colour, add a dash of chilli powder (or else cayenne pepper).

The amount of chillies used in this recipe is for mild heat, so adjust accordingly. Sugar and coconut cream help to neutralise chilli so if you need to soften the spiciness, add more sugar at the end of the cooking process.

Whole Spices

To lift the flavour of the curry to the next level, add whole spices.

We start the cooking process with tempering these whole spices for a short 1 minute (too long and it will burn and become bitter). This process is called tumis (translation: sauté), in Malay and really adds a multi-dimensional flavour to the curry.

If you are unable to get whole spices, you can still proceed with this recipe and rely on the spices in the curry powder alone. Just note that the flavour produced may not be as layered or deep.

Red Onions or Shallots

Call me lazy but I think peeling red onions is less troublesome than peeling shallots which are smaller and require more effort.

Purists will insist on using shallots as the flavour is more subtle and sweeter than the pungent red onion. It is, however, easier to find red onions in a pinch than it is to find shallots. So choose whichever is more convenient for you.

Red onions in rempah still make a delicious curry and cooking it for 30 minutes will take the edge off. In this recipe, I use 5 small red onions which you can replace with 20 (or more) shallots. Happy peeling!

Lemongrass & other aromatics

Some recipes suggest blending the lemongrass with the spice paste but I personally don’t like the hairy bits of this fragrant herb combined in my curry. Instead, I use whole lemongrass stalks to infuse the sauce with it’s woody, citrus-sy goodness. Use only the white ends of the stalk and smash the bottoms with a mallet (I actually used a cocktail muddler to do the job) to release it’s lemony minty flavour and simply chuck it into the curry after adding water to the paste.

Other aromatics you can add to this curry include lime leaves, pandan leaves and curry leaves. For curry leaves, add this when frying the whole spices at the start of the cooking process. If using lime and pandan leaves, add it after water is poured into the pot to allow it to be infused.

My guess on the origin of these extra aromatics is that home cooks back in the day had to find creative ways to use up their produce before it lost its freshness. For example, a Peranakan or Malay household might have pandan leaves more readily available. While I love pandan, it’s not something I’m accustomed to putting into my chicken curry.

Candlenut

Another reason I would say this dish is Singaporean, or at least from the Malay Archipelago region in general, is the use of candlenut. A common ingredient in Peranakan (Straits Chinese) cooking, candlenut adds thickness and a nuttiness to dishes. You can omit this from the recipe as the rempah adds sufficient substance to the curry. Alternatively, you can substitute it with double the amount of cashew or macadamia nuts.

Galangal (Blue Ginger)

Galangal is another popular ingredient in Malay and Peranakan cooking but you won’t find this in Indian curries. Hailing from Indonesia, galangal can also be found in Thai cuisine. This woody rhizome is quite hard to cut through without using some effort.

As I don’t use it often enough, I would recommend you buy the bottled version instead. It is conveniently pre-minced and it lasts so much longer in the refrigerator than the fresh version. It is less potent than fresh blue ginger, so use a generous amount to compensate.

Blend a knob of fresh blue ginger (roughly sliced) with the spice paste or else a heaping tablespoon of the bottled version.

Shrimp Paste (Belachan) or Fish Sauce

Perhaps inspired by Thai curries, shrimp paste or belachan is what gives Singaporean Chicken Curry that distinct flavour -at least the kind defined by Prima Taste or what I associate with the chicken curry found at Chinese food stalls.

I find using fish sauce achieves the same flavour without the fuss (or funky smell) that belachan requires. If using shrimp paste, which is first dried and shaped into a block, you will have to crumble it then fry it before it is ready to be used. Be warned though because it will stink up your whole house with a strangely addictive, but super fishy, aroma that you will either love or hate.

The good news is that once you have prepared it, you can store it in an air-tight container and refrigerate it indefinitely. It can be used to make a variety of dishes, including the must-have condiment, sambal belachan!

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Will the REAL Singaporean Chicken Curry please stand up!

To conclude, Singaporean Chicken Curry is basically a home cooked dish that most, if not all, Singaporeans grew up with. It is enjoyed with gusto either slathered over rice, or dipped into with crusty slices of French loaf. Most importantly, there is no ONE way to make it.

While it is ironic that Singaporeans can’t really define or agree what Singaporean Chicken Curry is, we will defend to the death what it is NOT.

spice up your life!

A country or a culture’s cuisine is a source of identity and reflective of not just tradition and heritage, but history. When we take the time to inspect things more closely, we will discover that many dishes we claim as our own are actually a result of other influences. Ultimately, food unites and connects us all – through our shared stories and personal palates. We borrow from each other all the time and when done right, it results in mouthwatering culinary creations in our kitchens which we might have no name for…. until someone else names it for us!

And now that you have some background of this semi-controversial dish, let’s cook it!