Kapitan Chicken

Kapitan Chicken is one of the Nyonya cuisine that has strong influence from the Portuguese.  This Nyonya dish has so many versions but the main ingredients remain the same.  Like many other Nyonya or Peranakan dishes, there are many versions from the north peranakan as in Penang, the straits peranakan from Malacca (that's where I'm from and the origin of peranakan descendants) and the south peranakan from Singapore.

With the diversity of different states ie. the north, the straits and the south peranakans, each have their own distinctive flavor in preparing the same type of dish just like Ayam/Babi Ponteh, Ayam Masak Buah Keluak, Lemak Udang Nenas, Gerang Assam, just to name a few.  And for this particular dish, Kapitan Chicken, is no different either.

The word 'kapitan' means the 'captain' of a colony.  Malacca was first invaded by the Portuguese Kapitan, Alfonso de Albuquerque in the year 1511 and their occupation lasted for 130 years from 1511 - 1641.  Not only the Portuguese that occupied Malacca.  As history goes, she was under the occupation by the Dutch and the British as well.

Here's one of the version of Kapitan Chicken.

1 chicken cut into bite sizes
1 - 1/2 cup medium light coconut milk
1 lime
salt to taste

Blend into paste:
Shallots
Garlic
lemon grass
tumeric
fresh chilies
dried chilies
shrim paste
candlenut

1. Heat oil in a deep saucepan or pot. Fry the paste till fragrant.
2. Add in the chicken and coat well with the paste for about 2-3mins.
3. Add the coconut milk, salt to taste and lime.
4. Let boil till chicken is cooked.

Serve with hot fluffy white rice.

My next post shall be Chicken Ponteh, another authentic Nyonya cuisine.