Indonesian Chicken Noodle Bowl

Ingredients

To make the spice paste in the blender 

2 cloves of garlic

1 large onion quartered

1 Tbsp of Sambal Olek or you can use red chili flakes instead

2 Tbsp of Maani’s Chicken Tikka Masala Spice Blend

2 inches of fresh ginger sliced

2 sticks of lemongrass, white part smashed using back of your knife

Optional for more spice: 1 or 2 thai green chili or jalepeno

To make the sauce on the stovetop:

2 Tbsp of canola or vegetable oil

2″ cinnamon stick

1 pound boneless chicken breast, diced into bite size pieces or shrimp like shown in photo

1 13.5 oz can of full fat coconut milk

1 13.5 oz can of chicken broth

1 tsp of salt and pepper to taste

Serve Indonesian chicken curry on top of cooked spaghetti and garnish with chopped cilantro, fried onion, crushed peanuts, squeeze of lime, and diced eggs.

Directions

1. Mix all the spice mix ingredients in a blender and puree until it becomes a smooth paste.

2. Heat the oil in a medium sized pan over medium high heat and add the pureed spice paste and the cinnamon stick and saute for approximately 10 minutes till the onions start cooking or the paste becomes fragrant.

3. Then add the diced chicken or shrimp and stir fry so that it is coated with the spice paste and cook the chicken or shrimp till it’s fully cooked. If cooking with shrimp then take the shrimp out after a few minutes so it’s not overcooked.

4. Add the coconut milk and chicken broth into the pan. Cook until the liquid starts to boil and add the salt and pepper and more chili flakes or sambal if desired and you want it spicier. Cook until the liquid is slightly thickened.

5. I like to serve this flavorful Indonesian curry as an indulgent bowl of coconut goodness that is part soup part noodle bowl. Boil a pot of water to cook the spaghetti as instructed on the package. Or you can make this recipe vegan and make this with rice noodles or gluten free spaghetti, you can substitute the chicken for shiitake mushrooms, red bell peppers, zucchini, cauliflower or any veggies you like.

6. Scoop a serving of spaghetti in a bowl, then take a ladle of the flavorful curry broth and chicken and serve it on top of the spaghetti, then garnish it with the chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, fried onions and diced cooked egg. I had this dish in Singapore and have dreamt about it ever since leaving that glorious country. I never did have a clear recipe for those brimming bowls of goodness, however over time I have created this recipe which is very close. Enjoy!