Roti Jala with Fresh Rempah Chicken Curry

Method

1. Beat the egg in a bowl and whisk in the coconut milk, water, melted butter, turmeric and salt, then add the flour a little at a time until smooth. Strain twice through a fine sieve so it is like single cream, cover and rest for 30 minutes. The butter helps the nets release from the pan and keeps them soft.

   Add in this stepEgg 1Coconut milk (for the batter) 130 mlWater (for the batter) 90 mlButter, melted and cooled 10 gGround turmeric ¼ tspSalt (for the batter) 1 pinchPlain flour 110 g

2. Snip the dried chillies and shake out the seeds (keep some if you like heat), then soak them in hot water for 15 min. Blend the drained chillies with the shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass (only the white lower part, thinly sliced) and a little water into a very smooth rempah, the spice paste.

   Add in this stepDried red chillies 5Small shallots 5Garlic cloves 3Fresh ginger 15 gLemongrass stalks 1Water (for the curry) 25 ml

3. Pat the chicken dry and season with some of the salt. Heat part of the oil in a 20 cm pot over medium-high heat and sear the chicken skin side down without moving it, 6 min in total, until golden. Work in batches if the pot is crowded and set it aside on a plate (it does not need to be cooked through yet).

   Add in this stepBone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, cut in pieces 500 gVegetable oil (for the curry) 0.9 tbspSalt (for the curry) ¼ tsp

   medium-high heat

4. Add the rest of the oil and fry the cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves and curry leaves for 30 seconds. Add the rempah and fry over medium-low heat for 10 min, stirring, until brick red, the raw shallot smell has gone and the oil separates, what Malaysians call pecah minyak. This step makes the curry. Stir the curry powder with a splash of the water, add it and fry for 2 more minutes.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil (for the curry) 2⅛ tbspCinnamon stick (5 cm) 1Star anise 1Green cardamom pods 3Cloves 3Curry leaf sprig 1Meat curry powder 1½ tbspWater (for the curry) 25 ml

   medium-low heat

5. Return the chicken and its juices with the potato, the rest of the water and half the curry coconut milk. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then lower to medium-low heat, set the lid ajar and simmer for 25 min, until the meat comes away from the bone easily and the potato is tender.

   Add in this stepPotato 150 gWater (for the curry) 200 mlCoconut milk (for the curry) 110 ml

   medium-high heat→medium-low heat

6. Add the remaining coconut milk, the crumbled palm sugar and the rest of the salt and simmer over low heat for 5 min, until the gravy thinly coats the back of a spoon. The chicken is done at 75 °C next to the bone. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes so the flavours settle.

   Add in this stepCoconut milk (for the curry) 110 mlPalm sugar (gula melaka) 10 gSalt (for the curry) ½ tsp

   low heat

7. Heat a 20–22 cm non-stick pan over medium-low heat and wipe it with an oiled paper towel. Fill a roti jala mould or squeeze bottle and draw circles, then cross over twice to make a fine, dense net. After about 1 minute, when the top is matte and set, lift it out without flipping. Make about 10 in 11 min.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil (for the pan) 1 tsp

   medium-low heat

8. Fold the roti jala into triangles and fan them out on a platter, set the chicken and potatoes in the middle and ladle plenty of curry over the top. Serve straight away.