Chicken pieces are cooked in aromatic kam heong sauce. They are easy to make and super delicious.
This recipe is inspired by the kam heong lala I made a while ago with few tweaks. I wrote in more details about what kam heong is in that post if you are interested. Basically kam heong sauce is a fusion of Chinese, Malay, and Indians.
Chinese elements: dried shrimp, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce
Malay and Indian elements: curry powder, curry leaves
The combinations of all these different elements create a very complex flavor. A good one at that! The best part is, this dish is not complicated to make.
A healthier version
The chicken are usually marinated and deep-fried, but I choose not to deep fry. I just pan fry the chicken pieces instead. That alone cuts down on calories significantly 🙂
How to make kam heong chicken in few simple steps
1. Marinade the chicken for at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge
2. Soak the dried shrimp in water until soften, about 10 minutes or so
3. Preheat a wok or a pan. Add cooking oil. I pan fry the chicken until they are slightly charred but not fully cooked yet. Remove from the pan
4. Add the aromatics and stir fry until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes
5. Add the chicken pieces followed by the kam heong sauce and stir fry until the chicken are cooked through
6. The sauce will thicken slightly because of the cornstarch in the marinade
7. If you want more sauce, add few tablespoon of hot water and stir to combine. Have a taste and adjust to your preference
Did you make this kam heong chicken recipe?
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Kam Heong Chicken (Golden Fragrant Chicken)
Ingredients
- 400 gr boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
Marinade:
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
Aromatics:
- 70 gr shallots thinly sliced
- 10 gr dried shrimp soaked in warm water and minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 red chilies seeded, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs curry leaves remove from stems
Kam heong sauce:
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
Instructions
Marinate the chicken pieces:
- Marinade the chicken for at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge
Cooking:
- Mix all ingredients for kam heong sauce in a bowl
- Preheat a wok or a pan. Add cooking oil. I pan fry the chicken until they are slightly charred but not fully cooked yet. Remove from the pan. Add the aromatics and stir fry until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken pieces followed by the kam heong sauce and stir fry until the chicken are cooked through. The sauce will thicken slightly because of the cornstarch in the marinade
- If you want more sauce, add few tablespoon of hot water and stir to combine. Have a taste and adjust to your preference
- Serve warm with rice as part of a multi-course meal
