Opor Ayam

Small Indonesian warungs sell the delectable Opor Ayam, a chicken cooked in coconut milk from Central Java. The spice mixture (bumbu) include galangal, lemongrass, cinnamon, tamarind juice, palm sugar, coriander, cumin, candlenut, garlic, shallot, and pepper. It is also a popular dish for lebaran or Eid ul-Fitr, usually eaten with ketupat and sambal goreng ati (beef liver in sambal).

A little like a mild, slightly chalky curry with less prep time required, it’s filled with Indonesia's signature spices -- garlic, ginger, cumin and coriander.

How to Make Opor Ayam

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 stalk of fresh lemongrass
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 salam leaf
500 ml thick coconut milk
500 ml water/chicken broth
1 tablespoon tamarind juice (if you don’t have it, you can substitute with lime/lemon juice)
2 teaspoons salt, add more if necessary
1 teaspoon sugar

Spice Paste
7 shallots
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon coriander powder
4 candlenuts, roasted
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
1 tablespoon shredded fresh galangal
1/2 tablespoon shredded fresh ginger

Instructions:

1. Marinate chicken with 1 tablespoon of tamarind juice and 1 tablespoon salt. Leave it for 15 minutes.
2. Grind or blend the ingredients of spice paste.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil saute the spice paste together with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and salam leaf over a medium-high heat until fragrant. Then add the chicken and stir a bit with the spice and then pour the water. Add salt and sugar. Cook until it’s boiling.
4. When the chicken is half-done, add the coconut milk. Continue cooking over a medium heat until it’s cooked.
5. You can add boiled egg or tofu as well to the recipe.