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Malaysian

Ayam masak merah

Non-vegetarian

Turmeric-rubbed chicken fried until golden, then simmered in a sweet, spicy red sauce of chilli, tomato and warm spices — a Malay celebration favourite.

Ayam masak merah is a Malaysian main course, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on, dried whole chillies and tomato. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1 h 10 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
574

Ingredients

6 servings

For the paste

For the sauce

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Rub the chicken with turmeric (opens in a new tab) and salt. Shallow-fry in batches in the oil until golden but not fully cooked; set aside and pour off all but 3 tablespoons of oil.

    Food safety: Never leave hot oil unattended, keep the pan no more than a third full, and lower food in away from you.

  2. Step 2

    Blend the chillies, shallots (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and lemongrass (opens in a new tab). Fry the cinnamon (opens in a new tab), star anise (opens in a new tab) and cloves (opens in a new tab) in the oil for 30 seconds, then the paste, stirring, until dark red and the oil separates.

  3. Step 3

    Add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), tomato paste (opens in a new tab), ketchup (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab), salt and water and simmer to a thick sauce.

    • 8 min
    • medium-low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Return the chicken and simmer, turning, until cooked through and coated in glossy sauce. Add the onion (opens in a new tab) rings and peas (opens in a new tab) for the last 3 minutes.

    • 15 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Cook chicken until no pink remains and the juices run clear (74 °C in the thickest part).

About this dish

Origin
Malaysia · Commonly attributedAlso popular in Singapore, BruneiMore food from Malaysia
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Curries
Cooking method
Shallow-fried, Simmered
Taste
sweet & spicy, aromatic / warmly spiced, tangy
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Dried whole chillies · Tomato · Turmeric · Shallot · Garlic
Techniques
Shallow-frying · Simmering · Bhunao

Allergens

  • May contain: Mustardfrom tomato ketchup
  • May contain: Celeryfrom tomato ketchup

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

574 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 371 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 28%
  • Carbohydrate 14%
  • Fat 59%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy574 kcal155 kcal
Protein39.7 g10.7 g
Carbohydrate19.7 g5.3 g
Net carbohydrate16.3 g4.4 g
Sugars8.8 g2.4 g
Added sugars——
Fibre3.4 g0.9 g
Fat37.4 g10.1 g
Saturated fat9.2 g2.5 g
Trans fat0.2 g0.1 g
Cholesterol150 mg40 mg
Sodium813 mg219 mg
Salt equivalent2 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
861 mg
Calcium
68 mg
Iron
3.9 mg
Magnesium
69 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
146 µg
Vitamin C
15 mg
Vitamin D
0.4 µg
Vitamin B12
0.6 µg
Folate (DFE)
41 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: green peas.
  • Star anise / anise: Anise seed (FDC 171316) used as a stand-in for star anise.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Frying the chilli paste slowly until the oil separates (pecah minyak) is what gives the sauce its depth.

Common mistakes

  • Rushing the paste — raw chilli tastes harsh.

Serve with

  • Serve with nasi tomato or nasi minyak and acar pickles.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated; freezes well.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently, adding a splash of water.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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