Tag Archives: Recipes

Opor Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Curry)

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Opor AyamI love this recipe. It has all the Indonesian flavors I love (especially trassi and kecap manis — please see the glossary). Opor Ayam is a chicken stew that is common in Indonesia. It is rich and aromatic, and some would consider it a curry. It’s simple, and it’s a dish that I do on weeknights.

Ingredients

1.5 – 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp terasi
3 oz chicken stock
1 14oz can reduced fat coconut milk
1 tbsp gula jawa (or brown sugar — see glossary)
2 tbsp kecap manis
3 tsp sambal ulek
2 kaffir lime leaves, very thinly shredded

Spice Mixture

4 kemiri nuts
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Laos powder (see glossary)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

Preparation

Combine coconut milk, chicken stock, lime leaves, gula jawa, kecap manis and set aside.

Combine spices for spice mixture and set aside.

Combine the onions, garlic, sambal ulek and chicken and set aside.

Heat oil on medium-high in a heavy sauce pan or wok. Add the chicken mixture, and saute for 5 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.Cooking Opor Ayam

Add the spice mixture, cook for 2 minutes, then add the terasi and cook for another minute.

Add the broth mixture, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another 45 minutes, until the liquid is reduced to about half (or a little more, as Indonesian sauces are fairly dry). Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 4.

Indonesian Tofu and Shrimp Curry

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Indonesian_shrimp_and_tofu_curry_2013-04-16Love this dish. It’s a little more time-consuming, but it’s worth it!

1 block (16 ounces) firm tofu
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 small onion, diced
4 tsp sambal ulek or 3 red chili peppers, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
2 tsp turmeric
½ tsp Laos powder
½ tsp terasi
5 kemiri nuts (candlenuts) grated
2 cups light coconut milk
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced in julienne strips
2 Tbsp tamarind water
2 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp gula jawa
5 salam leaves
2 stalks lemongrass, halved and lightly smashed with the flat part of a knife (optional)
1 Tbsp kecap manis
1 pb large shrimp, peeled, deveined
2 eggs, hard-cooked

On a cutting board, halve the tofu horizontally; cut each half into 12 pieces to make 24 total.

In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp of the oil. Fry the tofu pieces for about 10 minutes, gently tossing them to nicely brown them on all sides. With a slotted spoon, transfer the tofu to a bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the garlic, onion, chili paste or chilies, turmeric, and nuts. Work the mixture with a spoon to form a paste.

Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the spice paste. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until it releases its aroma. Add the coconut milk, red bell pepper, tamarind water, salt, sugar, bay leaves, and lemongrass, if using. Simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute more.

Return the tofu to the pan with the whole eggs. Cook, stirring gently, for 2 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through.

Remove the eggs from the sauce. Halve them and set them on top of the dish. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 4.