Ayam Masak Merah

Malaysian festive red-cooked chicken braised in a deeply caramelised paste of dried and fresh red chillies with lemongrass, ginger, and warm spice

Origin: Malay Peninsula, Malaysia

From the journey of Chilli Pepper.

Ayam masak merah (literally 'red-cooked chicken') is one of the most beloved dishes of the Malay kitchen, served at weddings, Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations, and family gatherings throughout Malaysia and Singapore. The 'red' that names the dish comes entirely from the dried and fresh chillies at the heart of its spice paste: a generous quantity of both, blended with shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass, and fried in generous oil until deeply caramelised before tomatoes and tomato puree are added, producing a sauce that is thick, fragrant, and a vivid, saturated red-orange. The colour is not incidental; it is the point. The dish belongs to the Malay festive cooking tradition that crystallised during and after the Malacca Sultanate era (15th to 16th century CE), when the chilli arrived via Portuguese trade networks following their conquest of Malacca in 1511. It entered a culinary tradition already built on complex ground spice pastes (rempah) of ginger, galangal, lemongrass, shallots, and turmeric, and was absorbed with total completeness. Within two generations the chilli had displaced long pepper and local pepper varieties as the primary heat source and become the structural foundation of the sambal tradition. Ayam masak merah represents the chilli at its most Malay: not raw or pickled, but fried to deep caramelisation in a layered paste of dried and fresh chillies with warm whole spices (star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves), producing the rounded, complex heat that the Malay festive kitchen is built on. No Hari Raya table in Malaysia is complete without a pot of ayam masak merah: the colour alone is celebratory, a vivid declaration of abundance. It is traditionally served with nasi tomato (tomato-scented rice) or nasi lemak, accompanied by acar timun (pickled cucumber and carrot). Its closest Sumatran counterpart is the Padang balado, built on the same chilli-caramelisation principle but without the ginger, lemongrass, or warm sweet spices that give ayam masak merah its distinctly Malay character.

Ingredients

Chicken

1.2 kg bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks), skin on
0.5 tsp fine salt
0.25 tsp ground turmeric

Spice Paste

12 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained
5 fresh large red chillies, roughly chopped (deseed for milder heat)
8 shallots, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
3 cm fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, white parts only, roughly sliced

For Frying

80 ml vegetable oil

Whole Spices

1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
4 cloves

Sauce

2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
100 ml water
1 tsp fine salt, or to taste
1 tsp palm sugar or light brown sugar

To Serve

steamed rice and fresh coriander to serve

Method

Rub the chicken pieces all over with the turmeric and salt. Set aside while you prepare the paste.
Blend the drained dried chillies, fresh red chillies, shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass to a smooth paste. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water if needed to help the blender move.
Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken pieces in batches, skin side down first, for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Remove and set aside; the chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.
Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pan and oil, add the whole spices (cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, and cloves) and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the blended chilli paste. Fry, stirring frequently, for 15 to 18 minutes until the paste has darkened significantly, become deeply fragrant, and the oil has separated to pool visibly around the edges of the pan.
Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes, pressing the tomatoes with a spoon until they have broken down and are fully incorporated into the paste.
Return the chicken pieces to the pan and add the water, salt, and sugar. Toss to coat the chicken thoroughly in the paste. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through and the sauce has thickened and clings to the pieces. Turn the chicken halfway through cooking. The sauce should be deep red-orange, thick, and fragrant.
Taste and adjust salt and sugar. Remove the whole spices before serving. Serve with steamed rice, garnished generously with fresh coriander.

Notes

Ayam masak merah improves considerably the following day as the spices continue to meld; it is an excellent dish to prepare ahead for a gathering. Heat level depends entirely on the quantity and type of chillies used: 12 dried and 5 fresh large chillies produces a moderately hot sauce; reduce the quantity for milder results. Removing the seeds from the fresh chillies before blending reduces heat without significantly affecting flavour or colour. The dish is traditionally served with nasi tomato (rice cooked in a spiced tomato broth) for Hari Raya celebrations, or with plain steamed rice and acar timun (pickled cucumber and carrot) alongside. Leftover ayam masak merah freezes well and is excellent reheated the next day.

The Gastrographer

Name: Ayam Masak Merah
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Malaysia
Ingredients: 1.2 kg bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks), skin on; 0.5 tsp fine salt; 0.25 tsp ground turmeric; 12 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained; 5 fresh large red chillies, roughly chopped (deseed for milder heat); 8 shallots, roughly chopped; 4 cloves garlic; 3 cm fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped; 2 stalks lemongrass, white parts only, roughly sliced; 80 ml vegetable oil; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 star anise; 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 4 cloves; 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp tomato puree; 100 ml water; 1 tsp fine salt, or to taste; 1 tsp palm sugar or light brown sugar; steamed rice and fresh coriander to serve

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control