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cleaver knife cutting through the hard shell of a raw spiny lobster on a wood board

Malaysian Butter Chicken (Lai Yao Kai)

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5 from 2 reviews

Crisp and juicy chicken coated in an aromatic creamy, buttery sauce. This is not your regular take on butter chicken.

  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2 Servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

  • 300 grams of Chicken thigh (10oz)
  • 2 tsp Ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil
  • 1 Large egg
  • 1 tsp YumYum
  • 1 tsp White Pepper
  • 2 tsp Chicken powder
  • 2 tbsps Cornstarch (also known as cornflour)
  • 1 cup Cornstarch to coat
  • 1 litre Vegetable or canola oil

Creamy Butter Sauce

  • 1 tbsp Oil
  • 3 tbsps Unsalted Butter
  • 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
  • 2 Thai Bird’s Eye Chilis (exclude for a non-spicy version), thinly sliced
  • 2 stalks of Curry Leaves
  • 1 cup Evaporated Milk
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp YumYum (You can purchase here, or use MSG instead)
  • 1 tsp Curry powder (I use Clive of India)

Instructions

Chicken

  1. Cut the chicken thigh into 2-3 cm sized pieces
  2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and add the cut chicken
  3. Mix until well combined and set aside to marinade for 10 minutes
  4. Heat a large wok or pot and heat the oil until it reaches 180C/350F
  5. Add the chicken and fry for 10 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown
  6. Strain the chicken from the oil and set aside
  7. Set the leftover oil aside to be used next time you deep-fry

Creamy Butter Sauce

  1. Combine the chili, garlic, curry leaves, and butter in your wok over low heat
  2. Add curry powder, evaporated milk, yum yum, sugar
  3. Stir to combine and cook until it’s foaming
  4. When it’s foaming add the chicken back and toss to combine
  5. Serve immediately
  • Author: Vincent Yeow Lim
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Chicken
  • Method: Easy
  • Cuisine: Malaysian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 portion
  • Calories: 5520
  • Sugar: 11 g
  • Sodium: 405.8 mg
  • Fat: 509.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 203.7 g
  • Protein: 43.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 279.8 mg