Express Ayam Masak Merah – Spicy Tomato Chicken

I had a hankering for Ayam Masak Merah recently and while strolling in the supermarket, spied a packet of instant Ayam Masak Merah sauce. So, picking it up, I decided to try to make an express Ayam Masak Merah (Spicy Tomato Chicken) for dinner one day.

Ayam Masak Merah (Spicy Red Tomato Chicken) is a traditional Malay dish and recipes vary in their contents. The main procedure is to pre-fry the chicken and then add it to the sauce to braise. The sauce commonly consists of tomato, chilli, lemongrass, onions and various spices. It is the “various spices” bit that eluded me, plus I wanted something quick after work, so I opted for the easy way out!

You can use any brand of instant packet sauce e.g. Brahims, Maggi, Adabi etc. I used a brand called Selerias or something similar. It was not dry ingredients but a wet paste and promises not to contain MSG or artificial colouring.

I used:-

• 1 Packet of instant Ayam Masak Merah sauce
• 2 large Chicken legs – thigh and drumstick chopped into large chunks – skin left on
• 2 fresh tomatoes cut into wedges
• 1 medium sized onion cut into rings
• Tomato Puree (to taste)
• Pinch of sugar (to taste)
• 2 hardboiled eggs (Optional)

Serves: 2 – 3 persons
How I did it:-

1. Fry the chicken pieces in hot oil until browned then remove from the oil.
2. Remove some of the oil then add the tomatoes and onions and stirfry until soft.
3. Pour in the packet sauce and stir and bring to the boil.
4. Add back the chicken pieces and coat with the sauce then turn the fire down to simmer until the chicken is cooked.
5. Taste and add a pinch of sugar if its too spicy, water if its too salty and tomato puree if its too spicy and there’s not enough taste of tomato.
6. If you’d like to, boil up a couple of hardboiled eggs and add to the mix.
7. After about 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly, and the chicken is well coated with the sauce, dish out and serve with hot rice.

I tasted the sauce out of the packet and found it too salty so I countered by adding extra fresh tomatoes, tomato puree and a pinch of sugar. The taste was then more robust and the extra onions added a sweetness to the dish.

Instant sauces may not be as authentic as making it yourself, but for busy working people as I am, it is a happy compromise to create something that you enjoy eating, with minimum hassle and is fast. Also, it beats having to pay to eat out!

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Tagged as: Chicken, Easy Recipes, Malay