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Overhead of air fryer ayam goreng berempah, Malaysian spiced chicken thigh pieces with a golden turmeric crust and crisp curry leaves on a dark plate on slate, lime wedges and sambal on the side

Air Fryer Ayam Goreng Berempah (Malaysian Spiced Chicken)

Boneless chicken thighs marinated in a lemongrass, turmeric and toasted coriander paste, dusted with rice flour and air fried until the paste bakes into a craggy crust. Topped with crisp curry leaves. 40g of protein per serving with no deep frying.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1.75 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs about 800g, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 2 to 3 pieces each
  • 4 shallots about 60g, peeled and roughly chopped, or half a small red onion
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and sliced
  • 1 inch fresh galangal peeled and sliced; or another inch of ginger
  • 2 stalks lemongrass bottom 4 inches only, outer layer removed, sliced thin
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp chili powder pure ground chili or Kashmiri chili powder; adjust to taste
  • 1.5 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp water to loosen the paste
  • 3 tbsp rice flour not glutinous rice flour
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil or a generous spray
  • 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves about 20 leaves, optional but recommended
  • 1 lime cut into wedges, to serve

Method
 

  1. Toast the whole spices. Put the coriander, cumin and fennel seeds in a dry small pan over medium heat and shake for 2 minutes, until they smell nutty and a shade darker. Tip onto a plate to cool, then grind fine in a spice grinder or mortar.
  2. Make the paste. Blend the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, ground toasted spices, turmeric, chili powder, salt, sugar and water to a thick, fairly smooth paste. Scrape down the sides a couple of times. Add another tablespoon of water only if the blender will not catch.
  3. Marinate. Toss the chicken pieces with the paste in a bowl until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Longer is better.
  4. Coat. Just before cooking, sprinkle the rice flour and cornstarch over the marinated chicken and toss again so the paste turns tacky and slightly dry on the surface. Do not rinse off the marinade; the flour binds to it.
  5. Preheat the air fryer to 400F (200C) for 3 minutes. Lightly oil the basket or rack. Arrange half the chicken in a single layer with space between the pieces, then drizzle or spray with a little of the oil.
  6. Air fry for 9 minutes, flip each piece, tuck the curry leaves in the gaps, and cook another 8 to 9 minutes until the crust is deep golden with darker edges and the thickest piece reads at least 170F (77C) on a thermometer. Thighs are more forgiving than breast, so a few degrees over is fine.
  7. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the second batch. Pile the crisp curry leaves on top and serve hot with lime wedges, rice and sambal.