Oven-baked ayam "goreng" berempah

The crispy aromatic fried chicken served at mamak restaurants in Malaysia ranks up there on my list of seriously addictive meals for as long as I can remember. Of course deep fried oil soaked dishes are a lot more guilt-ridden as an adult than as a kid (seriously, I used to have it at least twice a week during my schooldays; perhaps my parents thought it was a better, local option than KFC!)... so pretty glad when this oven-baked low-oil version turned out pretty close!

Oven-baked ayam "goreng" berempah

Ingredients:

250g Chicken pieces

2 tablespoons meat curry powder

1 tablespoon white pepper

3 tablespoons rice flour

3 tablespoons corn flour

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 inch ginger

2 lemongrass stalks

Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Method:

1) Grind into a paste: onions, garlic, ginger, lemongrass

2) Marinade the chicken pieces for an hour or more with all the ingredients

3) Lightly oil a pan and place chicken pieces 

4) Bake at 200c for 35-40mins depending on how large your chicken pieces are. Be sure to scrape off all the "burnt" crispy bits at the bottom as that is the best part! 

Optional: If you choose to fry the chicken, add 1 egg into it and mix well before frying.