Ayam Masak Merah (Malaysian Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Ayam Masak Merah is a rich Malaysian chicken dish simmered in a spicy, tangy tomato-based sauce with bold aromatics—perfect served with rice for a deeply flavourful meal.
Servings: 6
Calories: 568kcal
Ingredients
For the paste (rempah)
- 10 dried chillies
- 5 candlenuts (or macadamia nuts)
- 2 slices ginger
- 1 slice galangal
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 1 cup shallots (sliced)
- 1 tsp sugar
More ingredients
- 4 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2.2 lb chicken thighs (boneless/skinless - cut into chunks)
- 10 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 lemongrass stalks (trimmed to about 6" and lightly bruised at white end)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup tomato pulp (passata)
- 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
To make the paste (rempah)
- Soak the red chillies for 10 minutes in 1/2 cup just boiled water, then drain.Add them to a food processor with all the other paste ingredients and blend until smooth. Alternatively, use a stick blender to blend them together.----You can also pound until smooth in a pestle and mortar, starting with the chillies, galangal and ginger then shallots, candlenuts, garlic, shrimp paste and sugar one by one.
To make the Ayam Masak Merah
- In a wok or saucepan, heat the oil until hot, then add the rempah paste along with half the coconut milk. Fry for 5 minutes until the raw onion smell is gone. Add the chicken, lime leaves, lemongrass, and salt, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato, remaining coconut milk and 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 more minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and creamy. Add a little water if the sauce thickens too much.
- Stir in the tamarind pulp and simmer for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and serve, scattered with cilantro with lots of fluffy jasmine rice.
Video
Notes
Better flavour
- Make a day ahead - the flavour is even better once it's sat in the fridge for 24 hours. Trust me!
- Alongside jasmine rice
- Serve with flaky roti bread as a roti canai
- Serve a little with coconut rice in a Nasi Lemak style with (ikan bilis (anchovies), roasted peanuts, a boiled egg, and cucumber and tomato slices.
- Store bought curry paste - Thai red curry paste makes for a great alternative to blending your own. They have a similar taste profile so if you're short on time, this is a good option.
- Stir-in additions - At the end you can stir in some fresh tomatoes to accentuate the red colour and give a burst of freshness. Be sure to also squeeze over some fresh lime too to bring a little zing.
- Make it a seafood recipe - Instead of chicken, try shrimp/prawns or fish. When the sauce has been simmering for 20 minutes, add the seafood and cook for 5-10 minutes until cooked through.
- Freezing - This dish freezes well, simply portion up and cook for 5-7 minutes in the microwave from frozen or until piping hot. Serve with rice or Indian bread. The ayam masak merah will stay good for 3-4 months in the freezer.
- Refrigeration - It will be good in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 172mg | Sodium: 557mg | Potassium: 616mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 353IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 3mg