Roasted Quail and Curry Leaves Recipe by Chef Luke Nguyen
Luke said about this recipe: I also like the roasted quails with curry leaves at Ikan Bakar Pak Lang in Kampung Baru. The quails, which are tucked within a fluffy bed of fried onion, chilies, and curry leaves, look (and smell) quite delicious. This meal is a part of the mind-boggling, help-yourself nasi kandar menu at the restaurant, where you begin with a large mound of steamed rice on your plate and then choose curries, salads, and other tantalizing foods to go with it.
- 600 grams quails (cleaned)
- 500 milliliters vegetable oil
- 50 curry leaves (fresh)
- 4 red chillies
- 1 large onion (sliced)
- 2 steamed rice (to serve)
- 3 teaspoons five-spice powder
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 2 piece of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)
- 3 teaspoons soy sauce
- 100 milliliters vegetable oil
- Step 1
Mix well after adding all the marinade ingredients to a sizable mixing dish. Add the quails and make sure they are well-marinated. For one hour, marinate in the refrigerator with a cover on.
- Step 2
Set the oven's temperature to 200 C (400 F).
Place the quails and marinade in a baking dish, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the quails are cooked through and have a light golden color.
- Step 3
While waiting, heat the oil in a wok to 170°C (325°F), or until a bread cube thrown into the oil begins to brown after 20 seconds. Curry leaves should be briefly flash-fried in tiny batches until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, then thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Step 4
The whole chiles should now be fried in the hot oil for three minutes, or until they soften. Drain and remove. To soften and slightly caramelize the onion slices, cook them in oil over reduced heat of 150°C (300°F) for 4 minutes. Drain and remove.
- Step 5
Place half of the fried onions and half of the crisp curry leaves in an equal layer on a serving plate. Finish with the remaining curry leaves, onion, and fried whole chilies before adding the whole roast quails. Steamed jasmine rice is recommended.
This is an edited excerpt from Street Food Asia by Luke Nguyen, which can be found in bookstores around the country.