Curry Maleya
A rich and aromatic Parsi-style Malay curry that combines tender chicken with soft chunks of bottle gourd in a luscious coconut milk gravy. This historical recipe features a complex spice paste of saffron, ginger, and garlic, balanced by the fresh, citrusy notes of lemon grass. The dish is slow-cooked until the ghee separates, resulting in a creamy, golden sauce that pairs perfectly with steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 1 whole Chicken (whole, cut into pieces) (Originally '1 stuffed pullet/chicken'. Use a whole chicken cut into curry pieces.)
- 1 1/2 pounds Bottle Gourd (Dudhi) or Cucumber (Originally '1.5 seer'. Peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces.)
- 1 pound Onions (Originally '0.5 seer'.)
- 1 cup Ghee (Originally '0.25 seer' (approx 225g).)
- 2 teaspoons Salt (Originally '1 tola' (approx 11-12g).)
- 1/2 teaspoon Saffron strands (Originally '5 val'. Use a generous pinch.)
- 1 inch piece Fresh Ginger (Originally '0.5 tola'.)
- 1 bulb Garlic (Originally '1 pod/bulb of garlic'.)
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder (Originally '1 flat spoonful pure chili powder'.)
- 5 whole Cardamom pods
- 5 whole Cloves
- 1 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
- 2 cups Coconut Milk (thick) (Originally 'milk extracted from 1 large coconut (0.5 seer)'.)
- 2 stalks Lemon Grass stalks (Originally '2 green tea leaves' (Lili Cha na padada). In Parsi cuisine, this typically refers to lemon grass (Lili Chai) for curries.)
Instructions
- 1Clean and cut the chicken into serving pieces. Peel the bottle gourd (or cucumber), remove seeds, and cut into 2-inch chunks. Soak the vegetable chunks in cold water until ready to use. Grate the fresh coconut and extract approximately 2 cups (0.5 seer) of thick coconut milk.
- 2Peel the onions, ginger, and garlic. Grind them together on a stone or in a food processor along with the saffron, chili powder, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon to form a very fine paste. Note: Do not grind the lemon grass (tea leaves) at this stage; keep them whole.
- 3Heat the ghee in a tinned pot or heavy-bottomed pan. Add the ground masala paste and fry until it turns red and aromatic. Add the chicken pieces and salt, mixing well to coat the chicken. Continue frying until the chicken also takes on a reddish color.
- 4Drain the soaked vegetables and add them to the pot. Pour in the coconut milk. Wash the lemon grass stalks (or tea leaves) and add them whole into the pot. Cover the pot and place it over low heat (originally 'on embers'). Simmer gently until the chicken is tender and the ghee separates and floats to the surface.
- 5Once the curry is cooked and the ghee has risen to the top, remove the pot from the heat. Discard the lemon grass stalks (or leaves) before serving.