Kapitan Roast Chicken with Fried Rice & Cucumber Lime Salad

Kari kapitan is a classic Nyonya dish. Nyonya cuisine utilises Chinese ingredients with traditional Malay cooking techniques — and much like garam masala or za'atar in other cuisines, every household tends to guard its own kari kapitan family recipe.

Serves 2 · 35 mins + prep · This dish contains poultry — eat it first from your box.

In your box

• 1 chicken half
• 1 ATLAS kapitan paste tub
• 1 jasmine rice sachet
• 1 desiccated coconut sachet
• 1 red onion
• 1 lime
• 1 carrot
• 1 cucumber
• 1 coriander bunch

From your pantry

Cooking oil, egg (optional), soy sauce or salt.

Equipment

Saucepan, large frying pan, lined baking tray, julienne peeler (optional).

Method

1. Marinade the chicken. Read the recipe in full before you begin. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Rub the chicken in the marinade and roast skin-side up on a lined baking tray for 30–35 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Rest for 5 minutes before carving.
2. Cook the rice. Wash the rice in cold water until it runs clear. Cook in the boiling water for 8 minutes, stirring often, until cooked through. Strain and return to the saucepan, lid on, until needed.
3. Prepare the ingredients. Wash the vegetables. Peel and finely dice the carrot and onion. Grate or julienne the cucumber — for a drier salad, discard the seeds. Finely chop a teaspoon of coriander per person. Segment or juice the lime.
4. Toast the coconut. In a large frying pan over low heat, toss the coconut for 1–2 minutes until golden brown. Set aside, keeping the pan.
5. Cook the vegetables. Return the pan to medium heat with a splash of oil. Sweat the carrot and onion for 2 minutes until softening and translucent.
6. Add the egg & rice. Push the vegetables to the edges, crack one egg per person (optional) into the middle and roughly scramble. Add the rice and half the coriander, stir to combine, and season with soy sauce or salt.

To serve

Toss the cucumber, lime and remaining coriander together, and serve alongside the carved chicken and fried rice. Finish with the toasted coconut.

Chef's tips

• Marinate the chicken the night before for deeper flavour.
• Drizzle the chicken with a splash of sesame oil halfway through roasting.
• Fried rice is best with rice cooked the night before and left uncovered in the fridge to dry out.

Allergens: garlic, onion, mild chilli. Recipes are tested for 2 people — adjust times for larger boxes.

This dish is in this week's Southern Asia Cuisine Box →