Enche Kebin is a Nonya fried chicken recipe, inspired by both Malaysian and Chinese cooking. It combines Malay spices with coconut milk and soy sauce, and is simply served with cucumber and rice, although you can create a sauce from the marinade if you wish (see Cook’s Notes below). This is perfect cooked in an air fryer, or even baked in the oven, but we chose the original method of frying in a wok! serves 4-6
750g chicken breasts, cut in half lengthways
1 tbsp each dark and light soy sauce
1 tbsp (heaped) Malay curry blend (find ours here)
half a block of creamed coconut, cut lengthways
2 tsp sugar
pinch salt
half a cucumber, sliced or cut into sticks
oil for deep frying (not needed for air-frying or baking)
Cut the coconut cream into thin slices (reject the fatty end if you like) and place in a shallow container. Add just enough boiling water to just cover, then mash with a fork to help the block break down. You should end up with a thick sauce.
Add the soy sauces, salt, sugar and spices and combine. Coat the chicken and leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight.
Shortly before cooking the chicken, remove from the marinade and scrape some of it off, adding it to the sauce remaining in the dish.
Heat the oil in a wok or pan to a depth of about 5cm and fry the chicken several pieces at a time, turning over after a few minutes. Check one piece is cooked through before removing them and keeping them warm whilst you cook the others.
Serve in slices with soy sauce for dipping and the cucumber on the side.
Cook’s Notes
If you like the idea of a sauce, reserve the marinade and add enough water to make a sauce of a suitable consistency. Make sure you bring it to the boil and simmer for a few minutes - remember it had raw chicken in there! Serve with rice.
You can also bake the chicken at about 180 degrees for about 20 minutes, checking it is cooked through before serving, or cook as normal in your air fryer.