Recipe: Pumpkin Curry Chicken Bread 

Halloween is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than to do it Malaysian style? Margarita is back to share her recipe for the ever-popular curry chicken bread, this time with a fun little twist!

Pumpkin Curry Chicken Bread 

By Margarita Lee

Ingredients for Dough A:

• 100g High protein flour
• 100ml Water
• 1g Instant yeast 

Method:

To prepare the yeast, dissolve instant yeast in water and add to the flour. Mix well and store in the fridge for a minimum of three hours. This is Dough A.

 

Ingredients for Dough B:

• 400g Protein flour
• 150g Pumpkin paste (steam pumpkin slices until soft and transfer to a food processor or high-speed blender to blitz until smooth)
• 40g Sugar
• 80ml Milk
• 1 Egg
• 3g Instant yeast
• 40g Salted butter 

Method:

1. Mix the flour, pumpkin paste, sugar, milk, and egg until smooth.
2. Keep the mixture in the fridge for a minimum of three hours. This is Dough B.
3. Combine Dough A, Dough B and 3g yeast into a mixing bowl. Knead the dough using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment or by hand for approximately 5-6 minutes.
4. Add in the butter and knead for another 15 minutes. Ensure that the temperature of the dough is under 24°C. If the dough exceeds this temperature, return the dough back to the fridge to rest. (This dough is incredibly soft and sticky, don’t be tempted to add more flour.)
5. Shape the dough into a ball and place into a greased bowl. Wrap with cling-wrap and allow to rise for about 45 minutes to 1 hour at 30°C or until doubled in size.
6. To test if the dough has risen, dust your finger with flour and poke the dough. The dough should be springy in texture and bounce back. If the dough deflates, it is not ready and should be left to rise longer. 

 

Curry Chicken 

Ingredients A:

• 1 Chicken (deboned and cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 3 tbsp Meat curry powder 
• 4 Potatoes (cut into bite-sized pieces)

Ingredients B:

• 8 Dried chillies (softened in water)
• 2 Candlenuts
• 1 Large onion
• 3cm Ginger 
• 3 cloves Garlic 
• 2cm Turmeric 
• 10g Shrimp paste, toasted

Ingredients C:

• 2 stalks of Lemongrass
• 4 Kefir lime leaves
• 2 Pandan leaves
• 4 medium-sized Potatoes
• 2 sprigs Curry leaves
• 1 Star anise
• 1 Clove
• 1 stick Cinnamon
• 5 tbsp Oil
• Salt to taste 
• 150ml Water 
• 250ml Coconut milk 

Method:

1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Marinate the chicken with curry powder for half an hour. 
2. Blend Ingredients B into a smooth paste with a food processor or blender. 
3. Heat oil in a wok. Sauté the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and curry leaves and fry over low heat. Add in blended ingredients B and stir-fry until aromatic.
4. Add chicken, potatoes, lemongrass, kefir lime leaves and pandan leaves and stir well. Add in water and cover with lid. Simmer over low heat until chicken and potatoes are well cooked. 
5. Add in coconut milk and season with salt to taste. Continue to simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes become soft and tender. 
6. Transfer the chicken curry into a roasting bag and secure it tightly to prevent leakage. 

 

Assembly of the Pumpkin Curry Bread:

1. Preheat the oven to 165°C.
2. Punch the dough down to remove air and shape the dough. Place the dough on a work surface and press firmly. Roll the dough into a round circle that is big enough to wrap the roasting bag of curry chicken. 
3. Ensure the opening of the roasting bag is at the top. Place the rolled dough on top of the roasting bag and tuck the edges under the bag. Shape the dough around the bag to make it as round as possible. 
4. To form the pumpkin shape, place four pieces of string on your work surface. Criss-cross the strings over a centre point into a star formation. Place the dough, smooth side-down, onto the centre point. Firmly tie each string into a knot over the centre of the roll. Snip off excess string using scissors.
5. Place the tied dough onto a prepared baking sheet, let it stand for 30 minutes.
6. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 45 -50 minutes until lightly browned.
7. Brush the bread with melted water while the bread is still hot. 
8. To create the pumpkin decoration, place a piece of cinnamon stick at the top and cut a banana leaf into a leaf shape to decorate.

 

Note: 

Place a sheet of aluminium foil on top of the bread for the last 15 minutes if the top of the bread is turning dark brown. This is to prevent the top part from burning. Working with bread, you need to be patient. Proofing may take a little time depending on the humidity of your kitchen. If you are living in a warm climate, proofing time may speed up faster than in a cold climate.

 

Check out more of Margarita’s recipes on her FB @ Umummy Food!

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