
Bollywood movies are always these epic musicals with really good looking people who play the lead. They are three hours of unreality with usually 6 song and dance numbers. I was riveted to a recent one because it was dubbed over in Mandarin. An incredibly unlikely combination. The high-pitched Mandarin speaking voices did not match any of the actors or actresses and added a crazy dimension to the already melodramatic movie. The mix reminded me of Indonesian food (I always think about food). What I love about Malaysian, Singaporian and Indonesian cuisine is that it is a fantastic fusion of South Asian flavors traditionally seen in India, Bangladesh or Pakistan with more East Asian influences. The results I think are phenomenal. The movie….not so much!

Saute the onions with coriander, chili powder, ginger and garlic for about 5-7 minutes before adding lemongrass, lime leaves and cinnamon sticks
Indonesian style chicken curry
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 thai chilis, kept whole
1 piece fresh ginger – 1 inch, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tbsp vegetable oil
5 kaffir lime leaves
4-6 sticks cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass
5 boneless chicken thighs cut into chunks
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups coconut milk
1 1/4 cup water
In a large saucepan heat oil and saute onions coriander, chili, garlic and ginger over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes. Add lime leaves, cinnamon, whole chilis and lemongrass. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 more minutes until all the flavors are released. Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken and cook turning once until golden brown about 8 minutes. Stir in one cup of coconut milk and 1 1/4 cup water and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally until chicken is tender about 20-25 minutes. Add remaining coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving with plain rice or Coconut Fried Rice.