Auntie Camalia’s Curry Ayam Dish

Name: Auntie Camalia's Curry Ayam Dish
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1 whole whole chicken, chopped; 1 whole red onion, chopped; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 1 inch ginger, chopped; 1 rempah; 1 cup curry leaves; 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 whole potato; 1 tomato, chopped; 1 tbsp sugar; 1/2 cup coconut milk; 1 red onion; 5 pc green chilli; 5 pc red chilli; 1 pc cinnamon stick; 2 cloves garlic; 2 pc cumin seed; 3 cardamom; coriander leaf

Written by: Kampung Eats

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owadays, recipes can be searched online with the click of a button, through Google, Youtube, Instagram and more. This is unparalleled to how Makcik Camalia learnt to cook her Curry Ayam -- solely by observing her mother cook in the kitchen. Her mother did not provide much guidance as she would be preoccupied preparing the dishes, but Makcik Camalia is an avid learner.

This dish is special and close to her heart as she learnt traditions from her mother that could not be learnt from the internet.

Makcik Camalia married at 15 years old so she was able to master cooking this dish at a young age for her family. Auntie Camalia has a long line of grandchildren, with some residing in Indonesia. Nothing brings her more joy than watching her children and grandchildren enjoy her home-cooked food. She would cook this dish almost every day for her children and they never get sick of it. Today, they are very fortunate that she sets aside time to teach them how to cook her favourite recipes.

Her style of cooking Curry Ayam is unconventional as she loves the addition of chilli powder and Asam. The chilli brings in an extra kick, while the Asam adds a creamy mouthful with each bite. The curry is extremely fragrant, and no drop is wasted as she’d often dip the leftover curry with bread.

Makcik Camalia mentioned that she wishes to encapsulate her family heritage and recipes into a storybook and pass them down to her family in Singapore and Indonesia. She hopes to retain the legacy of these dishes by passing on the rich culture and flavours to future generations.