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A black bowl filled with Macanese Portuguese chicken curry with dishes of naan and lemon wedges beside it.
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4.88 / 8 votes

Macanese Portuguese-Inspired Chicken Curry

I grew up on Hong Kong style dishes and was exposed to the unique flavors of Macau (a former Portuguese colony), many of these dishes had a unique combination of European and Chinese flavors. This was one of our family favorites.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 35 minutes
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 787

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs*, trimmed of excess fat and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon table salt, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 3 cups (18 ounces) finely chopped onions
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • One (13 1/2-ounce) can coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus extra to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder (such as Madras)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chile oil, for garnish
  • 1/2 cup (2 oz) chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
  • Steamed rice or buttery naan, to serve
  • 1 lime or lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish
US - Metric

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine chicken, paprika, salt, and turmeric and mix with your hands. Let the chicken marinate while you prepare the other ingredients (or refrigerate for up to 8 hours).
  • In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add onions, reduce heat to medium-low, and sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until onions are cooked through and everything is coated in a glossy layer of oil, about 5 minutes more.
  • Stir in the chicken and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Pour in coconut milk, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a near boil. Simmer mixture until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • Pour in fish sauce and water and bring to a boil. (The broth will thin as the chicken starts to release its juices.)
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the curry has thickened and the flavor has developed, about 50 minutes. (Droplets of paprika-red oil will rise to the surface; this is okay).
  • Stir in curry powder and cayenne and simmer for 15 minutes more. Remove from heat and let stand for at least 20 minutes for the dish to develop more flavor as it cools.
  • Season with more salt or fish sauce, if needed. Drizzle chile oil over the top and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with rice (or naan) and wedges of lime (or lemon).

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 787kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 1666mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g