Kuzi Ayam/Chicken in Sweet Spice

Star Q

i.  Poem - Rhyming Words

ii.  Where Are The Boys?

iii.  Ihya Ramadhan

Kuzi Ayam (Chicken Kuzi) is one of those dishes that you only get to eat once in a blue moon (literally!) and always few and far between.  This is because you would only prepare this dish only on special occasions or if you have very special people coming over for dinner.  But having it for the second time after about forty years is really few and really far between!

The last time I had this dish was when my late mother made it (I was in my secondary school then!)  I remembered I was one of my siblings who actually liked the dish.  I guess my other siblings didn't quite like the dish because it had a slightly sweet taste; and we always associate sweetness with dessert.  Anyway when I managed to get my hands on the spices to make this dish, I was back in secondary school again!

• 1 medium chicken, cut into 10 pieces*
• 1 thumb size ginger, pounded*
• 3 cloves garlic, pounded*
• 5 shallots, pounded*
• 1 tbs chilli paste
• 4 tbs Kuzi spice 
• 1 cup tomato ketchup
• 1/2 cup full-cream milk
• 1 tbs lime juice
• 1/2 cup shallot crisps
• 1/2 cup golden sultanas
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds
• 1 cup water
• 6 tbs cooking oil
• Salt

Blended together :

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 large onion
• 1 thumb size ginger

Marinade all the ingredients marked (*) for at least an hour.  

Heat the oil in a pot and brown the chicken pieces.  Set the chicken pieces aside.  In the same oil, saute the blended ingredients along with the chili paste until aromatic.  Add the Kuzi spice and allow to cook until oil floats to the top.  Next, return the chicken pieces to the pot followed by the milk plus lime juice mixture (to make 'tairu'), tomato ketchup, water, golden sultanas and onion crisps.  Simmer gently until the onion has broken down and the sauce has thickened (about 10 minutes).  Right before turning off the heat, season with salt and sprinkle in the almonds.