Grilled Chicken Masaman Sauce on Sago Chips

A classic Thai dish served as an appetizer with curry-marinated grilled chicken and pineapple for added sweet complexity.

Ingredients

Procedure

Sago Cracker

1. In a pot bring water to a boil. Add sago pearls, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all pearls are translucent, about 18-20 minutes. Once cooked, strain the tapioca in a sieve and rinse under cold water to remove all of the starch.
2. Set a dehydrator or oven to 175°F. On a parchment lined sheet tray, scoop about 1 teaspoon of sago onto tray and spread into a round disk. Dehydrate for 4 hours, flipping halfway through. Remove from dehydrator and cool completely. Store in airtight container for service.

Grilled Turmeric Chicken

1. In a mortar combine galanga, lemongrass, coriander seed, black pepper, sea salt, and palm sugar. Use pestle to grind into a paste. Add coconut milk, turmeric powder, curry powder, and ground cumin. Mix until ingredients are evenly distributed.
2. In a bowl or hotel pan toss chicken in marinade. Refrigerate overnight to marinate.
3. Set grill to high. Remove chicken from marinade, discard excess marinade. Grill chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F and well-marked on both sides. Allow to rest, then cut into bite-size pieces. Hold hot for service.

Masaman Curry Sauce

1. In a sauce pot heat rice bran oil over medium high heat. Add masaman curry paste and stir fry until fragrant. Add coconut milk, palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste. Whisk to fully combine and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low and add water and fried shallots. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Hot hold for service.

Service

1. Set the oil to 375°F. For each serving, fry 7 dried sago chips until puffy and crispy, about 5-6 seconds. Drain of excess oil.
2. Drizzle each cracker with 1 teaspoon of Masaman Curry Sauce. Top curry with 1 piece of grilled chicken and garnish with 1 piece grilled pineapple, sliver red chili, 1/4 tsp chopped peanuts, and a cilantro leaf. Serve hot.