Singapore-Style Vindaloo Chicken

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Five Spice, Singaporean

Servings:

Ingredients

1½ pounds chicken (parts - thighs are best for this; bones, cut 1” bite-size)
4 onions (medium-large, peeled, tough end removed, cut into slices)
¼ cup Vindaloo Paste (Patek brand preferred)
1 bulb garlic (separated, peeled, cloves smashed lightly)
2 cups beer (pale, dry)
2 Tablespoons molasses (to me, as good as Indonesian dark soy)
1-2 Tablespoons sambal (or minced fresh hot pepper, to taste)
3 cups chicken stock (canned is fine for this)
½ brick coconut cream
1 cup buttermilk (or unsweetened soy milk)
3-4 teaspoons fish sauce (“Squid” brand is good)
4 teaspoons cornstarch (stirred into 3 Tbsp stock or water)
1½ pounds sweet potatoes (preferably organic red garnet, peeled and cut 1”x1”x½")

Instructions

Boil potatoes until just done, chill.
Heat 3 Tbsp oil in wok or large saucepan, add onions. Stir-fry abouttwo minutes, but don’t brown.
Add chicken and stir fry about 5 minutes.
With stirrer, push chicken and onions aside (letting oil seep to bottom). Stir in the Vindaloo paste, stir a minute, careful not to burn. Mix in chicken and stir well for 4 or 5 minutes.
Add garlic, beer, salt, molasses, sambal oelek or minced peppers, and three cups stock. Bring to boil, cover, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally ten minutes.
Add coconut and milk or soy milk and fish sauce, cooked yams. Cook 5 minutes. Stir cornstarch with water or stock, add to chicken, stirring till thickened.
Decorate with cilantro sprigs, and drip on the merest drops of fish sauce upon serving.

Notes

Serve now, or later—to my mind, it’s better later. Or freeze in
glass containers.

TIP: Double this, cool it and store in jars or heavy duty plastic bags
in freezer.

*Vegetarian alternative: Make this vegetarian by omitting chicken and
stock, adding shredded spinach (2-3 cups), 2 cups each broccoli and
cauliflower—just till tender. Add a cup or two of good green peas,
cooked through.