Rich, creamy and packed full of bold flavors, this Malaysian buttermilk chicken is a delicious and hearty curry that’s perfect for a cold winter night.
The tender and juicy chicken has a crispy outside and is coated in a creamy and rich sauce and together they create one star of a dish that’s sure to become a family favorite!
If you have been looking to make a chicken curry with subtle yet beautiful flavors, you might want to give this a recipe a try.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
You will need two sets of ingredients to make the Malaysian buttermilk chicken.
For the chicken breast
- Chicken breast (diced): 1.5 cups
- Salt: ¼ tsp
- Pepper: ¼ tsp
- Onion powder: ½ tsp
- Garlic powder: ½ tsp
- Oil: ½ tsp
- Egg: 1
- All purpose flour: ½ - ¾ cup
- Oil: For frying
For the curry
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Garlic (minced): 1 tbsp
- Green chilies (minced): 1 tbsp
- Spring onions (chopped): 2 tbsp
- Curry leaves: 8-10
- Buttermilk: 1.5 cups
- Black pepper powder: ¼ tsp
- Prepared chicken
How to Make the Malaysian Buttermilk Chicken
Once you have all the ingredients ready, here is what you will need to do to make the Malaysian buttermilk chicken
Take a mixing bowl. Add in the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and oil. Mix well.
Next, add an egg and mix.
Add flour and mix well. Make sure each and every piece is well coated with the batter.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the coated chicken pieces.
They should turn crisp on the outside and have a golden brown color. Keep aside.
Next, heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic, green chilies, spring onions, and curry leaves. Saute.
Add the buttermilk next and mix well. Let it come to a boil.
Sprinkle pepper powder and mix.
Add in the fried chicken next. Let the curry simmer for 6-7 minutes.
Serve hot with rice of your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
In addition to the chicken, you can also add some veggies to make the curry more nutritious and healthy
I like to use veggies like carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, green beans, zucchini, mushrooms and baby corn. 
You can refrigerate your leftovers for up to 2 days in an airtight container. I wouldn’t recommend storing them beyond this point as the buttermilk and the chicken can start to spoil pretty quickly.
To reheat the chicken, simply pop it in the microwave with a bit of water to get it nice and juicy again. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Malaysian Buttermilk Chicken
Ready to try out this recipe? Here are a few tips and tricks you might want to note down before you do.
- Want the buttermilk chicken to have some extra creaminess? Add some evaporated milk into the mix as well.
- To lend the buttermilk chicken an extra bit of heat, you can also throw in some red pepper flakes.
- I used chicken breasts for the recipe but you can also choose to use chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks if you have those at hand.
- In fact, you can replicate the same recipe by using a different kind of protein like prawn or firm tofu.
- To lend the curry an extra bit of flavor, you can also add a dash of curry powder which will lend the sauce a beautiful aroma and yellowish color as well.
- Remember to cook the chicken on medium heat to keep it from burning and turning tough and chewy.
- Don’t forget to sprinkle a generous amount of chopped cilantro leaves or any other fresh herbs of your choice too!
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This Malaysian and buttermilk chicken tastes best when served hot. That way you will get the crispiness of the chicken and the creaminess from the sauce all at the same time.
This dish goes well with any kind of rice. Steamed white rice is a great choice but you could also choose to use cauliflower rice or brown rice if you want to make the dish healthier.
Loved how this chicken recipe turned out? Inspired to try some more easy and flavorful chicken recipes? Here are a few good ones to check out.
- Air Fried Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings
- Air Fried Crispy Chicken Drumstick
- Stuffed Chicken Breast with Mushroom & Asparagus
📖 Recipe
Malaysian Buttermilk Chicken
Ingredients
Ingredients for the chicken breast
- 1.5 cups Chicken breast, diced
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Oil
- 1 Egg
- ¾ cup All purpose flour
- Oil For frying
Ingredients for the curry
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Green chilies, minced
- 2 tbsps Spring onions, chopped
- 8-10 Curry leaves
- 1.5 cups Buttermilk
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper powder
- Prepared chicken
Instructions
- Take a mixing bowl. Add in the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and oil. Mix well.
- Next, add an egg and mix.
- Add flour and mix well. Make sure each and every piece is well coated with the batter.
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the coated chicken pieces. They should turn crisp on the outside and have a golden brown color. Keep aside.
- Next, heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic, green chilies, spring onions, and curry leaves. Saute.
- Add the buttermilk next and mix well. Let it come to a boil.
- Sprinkle pepper powder and mix.
- Add in the fried chicken next. Let the curry simmer for 6-7 minutes.
- Serve hot with rice of your choice.
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