Golden Pillow Bread (Kampar Curry Chicken)

It was my brother-in-law's birthday last weekend. The whole gang (sisters and family) went over to celebrate and as usual when we get together, there will be lots of munching and chewing. My sis baked a delicious cheese cake for her 'birthday boy' hubby. She made a tray of yam cake, fried beehoon and a beautiful rose jelly. I baked two golden pillow bread stuffed with curry chicken. This bread is popular in Kampar, Perak. I remember eating this bread, goodness, more than a decade ago! The bread turned out really soft. This recipe is from one of Alex Goh's books, and is one of 'my list of recipes to try out' (one down and many more to go!) I did not follow his recipe for the curry chicken but cook my own version instead. Any chicken curry will do, as long as it's your favourite! This recipe may require a few extra steps. You need to prepare the gelatinized dough a day earlier. Preparing the curry chicken may take about two hours to complete. But I think that it is worth the effort. I'm giving the curry chicken recipe as per Alex Goh's, you can use your own favourite curry recipe if you want to.

Place a piece of alunimium foil in a bowl or container, handle carefully to avoid any holes in the foil. Make sure the foil is large enough to wrap as a parcel. Next, place a large piece of greaseproof paper over the foil. Scoop some curry chicken onto the greaseproof paper and wrap it up into a parcel.

Wrap the aluminium foil around the greaseproof parcel to make the outer parcel.

Roll out dough and place the wrapped curry onto the centre of the rolled dough. Bring both sides over the aluminium parcel, followed by the other two sides, enclosing the aluminium parcel.

Press the edges together to seal. Place on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil or a greased greaseproof paper and leave to proof for about one hour, covered loosely with cling wrap.

Bake at 175C for about 25-30 minutes.

When done, let bread rest 5 minutes. Cut the top of the bread open with a sharp knife.

Be careful when open the curry parcel, it will be hot !

Soft fluffy bread !

This is my handsome nephew, patiently waiting for the curry chicken bread while his auntie (ahem... that's me!) busy clicking away with her camera! Bon appetit!

Basic Sweet Bread Dough
(adapted from "Magic Bread" by Alex Goh)
Ingredients A :
100gm bread flour
70gm boiling water

Ingredients B:
300gm bread flour
100gm plain flour
80gm sugar
6gm salt
20gm milk powder
9gm instant yeast

Ingredients C :
175gm cold water
60gm cold eggs

Ingredient D :
60gm butter

Method :

1. Add the boiling water from A into flour, mix until well blended to form dough. Cover and set aside to cool. Keep it into refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
2. Mix B until blended. Add in C and knead to form rough dough. Add in A and knead until well blended.
3. Add in D and knead to form elastic dough.
4. Let it proof for 40 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into required weight and mould it round. Let it rest for 10 minutes and ready to use.

(my notes : to make two loaves of golden pillow bread, I did a 1-1/4 recipe. I put everything in the breadmaker!)

Ingredients for Curry Chicken :
50gm oil
50gm curry spices
8 shallots
500gm chicken
1 stick lemongrass
2 sprigs curry leaves
3 potatoes
6cm cinnamon stick
1 pc clove
250gm coconut milk
1-1/2 tsp salt
250gm water

Method :

1. Heat up oil in pot, add in curry spices and shallots, stir-fry until fragrant.4
2. Add in chicken, lemongrass and curry leaves, cook until fragrant.
3. Add in water, potatoes, cinnamon stick, salt and clove, stir well and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Add in coconut milk and bring to boil.
4. Remove and set aside to cool. Take 500gm of the curry chicken and wrap it with aluminium foil or greaseproof paper.
5. Roll out the sweet bread dough. Place the wrapped chicken filling in the centre of the dough and wrap it up.
   
6. Let it proof for 45 minutes.
7. Bake at 175C for 25-30 minutes.
   

(my notes : I did not use the above curry recipe. My own version does not use any coconut milk and require a few extra steps and ingredients. I cooked two chickens for the curry! Everyone loves curry! We ate the remainder with fried beehoon.)