Singapore Curry Chicken (with curry powder)

This is a simple yet incredibly flavourful recipe for Singapore-style Chicken Curry (Kari Ayam), made with aromatic curry powder. Perfect for a quick and delicious meal, no matter the occasion!

If you’re looking for a quick and delicious meal that’s packed with flavor, look no further than this easy chicken curry (curry chicken) recipe! This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you want to whip up something delicious without spending hours in the kitchen.

Fun fact: In India, there’s really no such thing as a ‘curry powder’. Traditional curries are made using a unique blend of spices that vary depending on the type of curry. The combinations are wonderfully diverse. Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, particularly in Singapore and Malaysia, curry powder is widely available and commonly found on supermarket shelves.

What is Singapore Curry Chicken?

This chicken curry was one of the first few curries I learned from my mom. As a busy full-time working mom, whenever we needed a quick, comforting, and substantial meal, this was her go-to dish.

For a while, I thought this might be a Malay style of curry, but I’ve since realized that most households in Singapore and Malaysia make their home-style curry this way!

If there’s a dish that transcends racial boundaries, it’s probably this – no matter your background, you will love and have made some form of curry with the curry powder as a base at home! Malay, Indian, and Chinese families in Singapore and Malaysia often share this base recipe, each adding their own unique flair.

Just as an example, Malays might incorporate a dash of dried chili paste for heat (such as in this recipe!), Chinese families sometimes season with soy sauce, and Indian families might add more aromatic spices or herbs stocked in their pantries. Each version reflects the rich diversity of the region while staying rooted in the same comforting, home-cooked tradition.

Cheat Ingredient #1 – Curry Powder

This recipe is inspired by one of the first I learned from my mom, who often made curry in this way. It’s a method commonly found in Malay households, where curry powder plays a central role. To add some heat, we like to mix in a bit of dried chili paste into the base.

Though I’ve experimented with authentic Indian curry recipes, I always find myself returning to this quick and easy method. Using curry powder is a time-saver, and with just a few ingredients, you’ll have a hearty dish that pairs perfectly with rice.

It’s foolproof, takes about 30 minutes, and is perfect for both a weeknight dinner and last-minute guests.

Type of Curry Powder

Curry powder is a blend of spices like coriander seeds, cumin, fennel, and cinnamon, and the mix can vary between brands.

In Singapore, you can easily purchase curry powders at the supermarkets, but you can also get a custom blends at spice shops at the wet markets. The brands I usually go for would be House Brand, or Baba’s. These are the brands that my Mom always gets, so I am accustomed to the taste. Any brand of choice will do; the ultimate taste will be good.

You’ll often find different blends labeled for chicken, meat, fish, or vegetable curries. For this recipe, choose a “chicken” or “meat” curry powder for the best flavor. Fish or vegetable curry powders will yield a slightly different flavour; the result won’t be unpleasant, but it will be unfamiliar.

A note for vegetarians/vegans: Meat and chicken curry powders are actually fully vegan, containing only spices. I’ve even used them to make a delicious vegetable curry.

Essential Ingredients: Onion, Ginger, and Garlic

To build a rich, flavorful base, you’ll need onion and ginger—two essential ingredients in curry-making. Some may say garlic is optional, but it elevates the dish, so I always include it. In my book, the trio of onion, ginger, and garlic is a must for a standout curry.

For this recipe, I opted for pre-minced ginger and garlic, which makes prep quicker. However, if you have fresh ginger and garlic, finely mince or grate them for even better results.

Alternatively, you can blend them with a little water to create a smooth paste, which gives the curry a thicker, creamier texture. I always have jars of onion, ginger and garlic pastes in the fridge – they’re easy to make, makes cooking easy on busy days, and is so versatile in so many dishes! See the recipe here.

This would result in even better flavours and a creamier, thicker curry. This is what I did in mycheesy curry baked rice recipe recipe.

Cheat Ingredient #2 – Chicken Bouillon Stock Cubes

Good curry taste amazing from being stewed for a long time to extract as much of that delicious chicken flavour. Since we don’t have much time, use chicken stock bouillon cubes for that instant boost of flavour!

It would, of course, be best to use your own homemade chicken broth, but not all of us are as well-organised (or have room in the freezer). If using homemade unsalted broth, or water, then make sure to season adequately. This recipe has been adjusted to account for the presence of salt in the stock cube.

If you’re apprehensive about using stock cubes (or the MSG in them), then just use water. The stock cubes I used are lower in sodium, and these versions are commonplace in supermarkets these days.

Vegetables

I consider potatoes absolutely essential when making curry. Whenever I make this for guests especially, everyone goes straight for the potatoes! Peel your potatoes and cut them in quarts, for ultra soft potatoes. If you prefer a potato that is not as soft, then halve or even leave them in whole.

I added carrots as well, since I have that in my fridge. Cruciferous or ‘harder’ vegetables that stew well will go great in this curry. I like to add cauliflower and broccoli as well.

Coconut Cream / Coconut Milk

This recipe uses coconut cream. It can also be labelled as coconut milk even though it has a thicker consistency. Coconut cream is sold widely and cheap in supermarkets, and meant for cooking. The brand that I use would be Kara or Ayam Brand.

There would be actual coconut milk that is more liquid in nature. If you are lucky, you have easy access to this at your local markets, where coconuts are pressed fresh to produce the milk. Of course, you can use this as well. With coconut milk, you want to do a 1:1 ratio of coconut milk to water.

There are coconut milk sold in cartons in supermarkets, meant for drinking or as dairy-free milk replacements. These work as well, I would make sure they are the unsweetened variety.

Why does this Curry Chicken look soupy?

One of the most common ‘complaints’ I get from this recipe is that it doesn’t have a thick gravy consistency. This is purely preference! Some of us prefer a more liquid consistency – to better soak up bread with. It’s the consistency that Singaporeans are more used to as well. You can always ADJUST the water amount to your preference.

I used 600ml of water here for a saucier consistency. For a thicker curry, use 200ml. Make sure the liquid is able to at least cover half of the chicken pieces, so it cooks evenly. You can also add more coconut cream, but do note adding too much will create a pale-looking curry.

Another way of getting that thicker gravy is to blend more onions, garlic and ginger paste, and to incorporate dried chilli paste in as well.

What to Serve this with?

Serve this with some rice (try my Nasi Minyak for this!), although I love dipping bread and Butter Naan in this.

Whenever I have leftover Pita Breads, I like to make this easy chicken curry for dipping too.

These recipes use curry powder as well:

• Mee Rebus
• Cheesy Curry Baked Rice
• Singapore hawker style ‘Cai Png’ Vegetable Curry

Watch how to make Easy Curry Chicken

If you like this curry recipe, you will love these too:

• Opor Ayam | Indonesian White Chicken Curry
• Spicy Chicken Rendang
• The BEST Beef Rendang

Easy Chicken Curry with Curry Powder

Recipe by Sha

5.0 from 3 votes

Course: Uncategorized

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 500g Chicken

• 3 tbsp Curry Powder

• 1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)

• 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)

• 1 medium Onion, chopped (or 1 tbsp onion paste)

• 1 tbsp or 1 inch Ginger, grated (or 1 tbsp ginger paste)

• 1 tsp or 1-2 cloves of Garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic paste)

• 600 ml of Water

• 200g Potato

• 100g Carrot

• 1 Chicken Stock Cube

• 200ml Coconut Cream

• 1 tsp Salt, or to taste

• Cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Directions

• Add oil to pot, and heat over low to medium heat. Once hot, add onions, ginger and garlic. Saute until fragrant.
• Once fragrant, add the curry powder. Stir well to combine curry powder with the onions. Continuously stir for about 5 minutes and keep a low heat to not burn the curry powder. You should start to get a dark curry paste forming.
• Add the chicken pieces and stir with the curry paste to even coat the chicken. Then add water, and turn up the heat to let it come to a boil.
• Once the water comes to a boil, add potatoes and carrots. Add the chicken stock cube and stir to incorporate well. Turn the heat down to a simmer, and cover the pot with a lid. Let this simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is soft and tender.
• At the 30 minute mark, add coconut cream and salt. Gently stir through. Ensure low heat still, otherwise coconut cream might curdle.
• Once curry comes to a bubbling boil, turn off the heat. Curry is done and ready to be served!

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