Yes, a curry paste from scratch, but hear us out. This curry is delicious, but not if you shortcut things. It’s our take on a Nonya curry; the Nonyas (also called the Peranakans) are communities descended from Chinese immigrants who settled in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, intermarried with locals, and blended their heritage with Malay influences. Their food is a true fusion cuisine and is marked by the use of bold spices and aromatic pastes like the one here. Typical of Nonya cuisine is the use of coconut milk, giving dishes their signature richness, while dried shrimp, belacan (fermented shrimp paste), and tamarind bring umami, salt, and tang. Candlenuts are often used to thicken sauces, adding a creamy texture (you can substitute macadamias if you can’t find these), and pandan leaves are used too for their subtle, floral aroma, especially in kueh, or cakes. The cuisine is known for its complex layering of flavours—sweet, spicy, sour, and salty—creating dishes that are deeply delicious. One of the most unusual ingredients is the so-called ‘black nut,’ or ‘buah keluak,’ a large, hard-shelled nut with a charcoal appearance. They’re fermented in ash or soaked in water for days to remove toxins and develop their distinctive flavour, which is deep and earthy and a little chocolatey. The rich paste inside is the edible part, and it adds real savoury depth (and an unsettling blackness) to dishes. Anyway, we digress; this cuisine is fascinating! Techniques in Nonya cooking often include slow braising or simmering to deepen flavours, as well as stir-frying and steaming. Certain dishes, like laksa, otak-otak (grilled fish paste), and various curries, really showcase the cuisine’s complex, gutsy flavours.

Pounding your own curry paste might feel like effort, but it’s a cornerstone of Nonya cooking, creating the kind of flavour you just can’t get from a jar. If you don’t own a heavy-duty mortar and pestle, you can make your paste using a small food processor; it won’t have the same texture, but it will be fine. Just remember to stop the machine frequently and scrape everything down so it mulches evenly.

SERVES 4-6

4 chicken marylands

80 ml (⅓ cup) vegetable oil

1 star anise

4 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

3 all-purpose potatoes (about 600g), quartered

625 ml (2½ cups) chicken stock, approximately

250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk

2½ tbsp shaved palm sugar

steamed jasmine rice and sambal oelek, to serve

Spice Paste

1 tbsp belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste)

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1½ tsp cumin seeds

1½ tsp fennel seeds

10 dried red chillies, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, then drained

4 candlenuts, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

5 large red Asian shallots, coarsely chopped

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, chopped

For the spice paste, wrap the belacan in foil. Heat a small, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat, then dry-fry the belacan for 2 minutes on each side, or until fragrant. Cool, then unwrap. Combine the coriander, cumin and fennel seeds in a small, heavy-based frying pan over medium-low heat and toast, shaking the pan often, for 4 minutes or until fragrant. Cool. Transfer the spices to an electric spice grinder and process to a coarse powder. Combine the spices in a food processor with the belacan and remaining ingredients and process until a smooth paste forms, adding a little water as necessary. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle.

Using a large, sharp knife, cut the marylands in half between the joint so you have thighs and drumsticks. Trim any excess fat.

Heat a wok or large saucepan over medium heat, then add the oil. Cook the spice paste and whole spices, stirring, for about 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the chicken and potatoes and stir to coat well. Add the stock – it should just cover the mixture so add extra stock or water if necessary. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the wok, then cook over medium-low heat for 40 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are tender.

Add the coconut milk and palm sugar and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, uncovered, over low heat for another 10 minutes or until the sugar has  dissolved. Serve with steamed rice and sambal oelek.