Ayam Masak Merah - a dish close to home

this tangy and rich traditional Malay dish roughly translates to 'chicken cooked in red (sauce)'

A recent bump-in with Minister Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Edwin Tong, led to a conversation about the recent Olympics and how our local Singaporean athletes are cared for as they go through their trainings. Mr Tong mentions in-depth how dieticians are employed to curate healthy and nutritious recipes for these athletes so that they can be constantly at the top of their game.

when requested what he wanted to eat, he mentions one of his favourite dishes - Ayam Masak Merah, a dish which many perceive to be indulgent which also happens to be a recipe featured in the Singapore Sports Institute Recipe Book. below is a recipe adapted from the book, with the ingredients and cooking methods being healthier and more nutritionally mindful as compared to a conventional Ayam Masak Merah.

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@nomies.coMinister, we're gonna pretend we didn't hear that 🫢 follow our shenanigans with Minister Edwin Tong as we find out about how the Kallang Alive initiative supports our local athletes! recipe in bio 😗 #sg #sgtiktok #sgfood #foodie #sgfoodies #fyp #recipe #kallang #foryoupage #foodlover #foodtok

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Ayam Masak Merah
150ml oil 
1 cinnamon stick (cassia)
2 star anise
5 cardamom pods 
3 medium red onions, thinly sliced
300g chilli paste (chilli boh)
2 sticks lemongrass, bruised
6-8 kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn
3 medium tomatoes, diced
400g canned peeled tomatoes
1 cup water
1 kg chicken thighs, skin removed
2 tbsp ketchup
3 tbsp evaporated milk 
salt, to taste
3 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped (optional)

spice paste:
50g shallots
30g ginger 
5 garlic cloves

Directions

• blend the spice paste ingredients in a blender until fine

• in a pot / casserole on medium heat, add the oil. once oil is hot, add the whole spices and the sliced onion. constantly stir the onion slices until they caramelises into an even golden colour.

• combine in the chilli paste, spice paste, lemongrass, lime leaves and fresh tomatoes. mix evenly and simmer for 8-10 minutes. pour in the canned tomatoes and water and cook for another 5 minutes to get rid of the raw tomato flavour.

• submerge the chicken thighs into the sauce, along with a pinch of salt. cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes to cook. stir the sauce and the chicken well and check for doneness of chicken.

• stir in evaporated milk and ketchup and simmer for another 5 minutes before serving.

• garnish with coriander leaves (optional)