Ayam Masak Merah which translates to red cooked chicken is a tomato-based chicken dish that is popular all throughout Malaysia. It is often made with a lot of tomato sauces like ketchup which makes it very sweet but this one will be made with fresh tomatoes instead.
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Place your onions, chilli, tomatoes, and ginger into a blender and blend it until it is very fine.
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Pour the vegetable mixture into a separate bowl and mix it with the chicken legs. Marinade it for at least 30 minutes. Overnight will be the best.
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Then place 1 tbsp of oil into a pan and switch it to medium heat. Add in the cinnamon, lemongrass, and star anise and toast it for 1 minute.
4.
Add the chicken into the pan and cook for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to low heat and make sure to always stir it every few minutes while it cooks to make sure it doesn’t burn. You want to reduce the marinade until it becomes thick and it has a nice deep red colour
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Once the gravy consistency is nice and thick, add in the coconut milk, fish sauce and lime juice and cook for another 10 minutes. Once it is finished, garnish it with some daun pegaga and serve.
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Tip
Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 30 minutes before cooking but overnight is best
Cost-saving tips