Spicy Roast Chicken (Ayam Bakar Berbumbu)

8 chicken drumsticks
250ml thick coconut milk and 500ml thin coconut milk from 1.5 coconuts
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
2 kaffir lime leaves
4 tbsp oil
salt and sugar to taste
3 tbsp sweet soy sauce mixed with 3 tbsp oil

Ground spices :
10 red chilies
15 dried chilies, soaked
10 pips garlic
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
1.5 cm saffron
3/4 cm galangal
5 candlenuts

Heat oil in the wok, saute ground spices, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves till fragrant. Add chicken drumsticks and thin santan, and cook till chicken is half done.

Add thick coconut milk and cook till gravy become thick and chicken is well done. Remove and leave to cool. Glaze chicken drumsticks with sweet soy sauce and cooking oil mixture. Grill till brown. Remove and serve hot.

Grilled/Broiled Cashew Nut Chicken (Ayam Khas Bali)

4 chicken drumsticks,

Marinade ingredients (grind)
50g raw cashew or macadamia nuts
2 shallots, or 1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 small red chilies, chopped
1 piece lemon grass, 5cm long
1 tbsp tamarind sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce - optional
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp rice or white wine vinegar
Chinese leaves, to serve
1 tomato, sliced to garnish
1/2 cucumber, sliced to garnish

Using a sharp knife, slash the chicken drumsticks several times through to the bone, chop off the knuckle end and set aside.

To make the marinade, place the cashew or macadamia nuts in a food processor or coarse pestle and mortar and grind. Add the shallots or onion, garlic, chilies and lemon grass and blend. Add the remaining marinade ingredients. Spread the marinade over the chicken and leave in a cool place for up to 8 hours.

Grill (Broil) the chicken under a moderate heat or over a barbecue for 15 minutes on each side. Place on a dish lined with Chinese leaves and garnish with the sliced tomato and cucumber. Ready to serve.

Chicken Rice with Pineapple (Nasi Kebuli Ayam)

500g boneless chicken, diced into 1cm cubes
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt

2 cups long-grain rice, washed and drained
1/2 small pineapple, peeled and sliced and cut into small pieces
fried shallot to serve
2 tbsp butter or oil

13 French shallots, peeled and finely chopped
7 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2.5cm piece of root ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
1/2 tsp cumin
a little nutmeg, freshly grated
8cm cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods, bruised
2 cloves
1 lemongrass stalk, bruised

Heat butter or oil in a wok or heavy saucepan. Add all seasoning ingredients and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken and continue sauteing for 3 minutes over high heat. Add chicken stock and salt and simmer until chicken is tender. Strain stock and put chicken pieces aside.

Place rice in a rice cooker or heavy stock pot, add 2.5 cups of the reserved chicken stock and bring to the boil. Cover pan and simmer until rice is almost cooked and liquid is absorbed. Add diced chicken and cook over low heat until rice is thoroughly cooked.

Serve on a platter garnished with fried shallots and pineapple.

Chicken Marinated with Coconut Milk and Spices Aceh Style (Kari Ayam Aceh)

1 whole chicken
coconut milk (from 2 coconuts)
2 stalks lemon grass (bruised)

Blend (add 125ml coconut milk):
4 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp ground coriander
7 red chilies (seeded)
3cm ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp lime juice
salt to taste

Split open the chicken from the breast and flatten it out like a butterfly. Discard loose skin and fat, or you can also cut it into 4 pieces. Broil the chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Marinate the chicken in the blended paste for 15 minutes.

Put the chicken in a large wok. Cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes uncovered. Add the remaining coconut milk and lemon grass. Bring to boil and cook for another 30 minutes, basting occasionally, till the chicken is tender and almost all the liquid has evaporated. Serve warm.

Chicken Stew with Aromatic Coconut Gravy (Opor Ayam Solo)

1 whole chicken (cut into 8 pieces)
1 liter coconut milk
3 bay leaves
100g galangal (bruised)
salt and pepper to taste

Spice mixture, blend:
6 shallots
3 cloves garlic
100g candlenuts,
10g coriander
5g fennel

Boil chicken with 500ml. of coconut milk and bay leaves for 20 minutes. Add galangal. Stir occasionally till the oil floats. When chicken is about done, add remaining coconut milk together with the spice mixture.

Stir till boiling. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fresh Vegetables Soup (Sayur Sop)

2 carrots
100 gram cabbage, cut into small pieces
100 gram bean, cut 3 cm long
200 gram potatoes, cut into medium cube
2 chicken hotdog (optional), thinly sliced
5 chicken wings for broth
2 stalk of celery leaves, chopped
1 stalk of spring onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of fried shallots
800 ml water
salt and sugar to taste

Note: you also can add broccoli, read beans, sweet corns and many more!

Spice Paste
3 shallots (or half medium red onion)
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of pepper

Place chicken wings in boiling water for 20 minutes to prepare the broth. Add the carrots.

Heat oil in the pan and fry the spice paste until its fragrant, and put it into the broth. Add the rest of the ingredients, salt and sugar to taste. Continue cooking until all vegetables well cooked. Add some water if it's necessary.

Serve with fried shallots.

Chicken Mushroom Noodles (Mie Ayam Jamur)

250 grams dried egg noodles, cooked and set aside
Chinese Cabbage
meatballs, optional

Chicken Mushroom Mix:
2 chicken thigh fillet, cut into small piece
3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
150 gram champignon
3 cloves of garlic
2 shallots
50 ml oil
2 tbs water
½ cube chicken bouillon
a pinch of sugar

Garlic Oil:
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tbs soy sauce (kecap asin)
1 tbs sesame oil
2 tablespoons oil

The Soup:
Chicken bones
½ cube of chicken bouillon
1 stalk spring onion
250 ml water

Heat the oil, and fry the chicken meat half-cook. Set aside.

Grind or blend shallots and garlic, sauté until it's fragrant, add the champignon and chicken. Continue cooking. Pout a bit water into the mix, sweet soy sauce (kecap manis), chicken bouillion and sugar. Stir well. Cook until its thickening.

Make the garlic oil : heat the oil, then add the garlic and fry it until slightly brown. Don't over burn it! Add the soy sauce, and sesame oil.

The soup: boil the bones to make a broth, then add the chicken bouillion, and spring onion.

Set a plate with 1 tablespoon of garlic oil, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, salt and pepper. Put the cooked noodle into a plate and mix thoroughly. Add cooked Chinese Cabbage. Add 3 tablespoons of chicken mushroom, garnish with fried shallot and fresh cucumber. Serve with the soup and meatball.

Spicy Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng Bumbu Pedas)

1/2 kg (500 gram) chicken
Salt and pepper to marinate the chicken

1 stalk of lemongrass
2 Salam leafs/bay leaves
Cooking oil for frying

Spice (Blend) :

5 cloves of garlic
5 shallots
5 Candlenuts
5 red chillies, seeded and sliced
2 bird's eyes chillies (optional)
1 tomato, sliced
1 cm Galangal (Laos)
Salt and sugar to taste

Cut chicken into 8 pieces, marinate with salt and pepper, fry and set aside.

With remaining oil, sauté the spice paste together with salam leaves and lemongrass until fragrant. Add chicken, stir well. Add some water and continue cooking until all blended spice are absorbed.

Fried Meatball (Bakso Goreng)

250 g Minced beef/Chicken/Prawn (or mixed meat)
35 g tapioca flour
75 g ice cube, crushed
2 white eggs
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fried shallots
2 tablespoons sesame oil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients for meatball (except spring roll wrapper) and grind them in food processor until it's sticky. Then put in fridge for 45 minutes to one hour.

Heat oil in deep fryer, and fry with medium heat until it is golden and cooked.
Serve with fresh chillies or chilli sauce.

Chicken Spring Roll (Lumpia Ayam)

For Filling

1 chicken breast, cook until tender, keep the stock.
Cut the meat into small pieces.
2 big carrots, thinned sliced
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlics, chopped
1 tea spoon of pepper
½ tea spoon of sugar
A pinch of salt or, chicken seasoning

For wrapping
20 Spring Rolls Sheets

The filling : Heat 3 table spoon of oil, and stir fry the onion and garlic. Then add chicken meat and carrots. Pour some of the chicken stock, just enough to make the carrots tender. Add pepper, salt and sugar. Cook about 10 minutes or until the carrot is tender and water absorb.

Place the spring roll wrapper with one corner at the bottom so that it resembles a diamond. Brush the four edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg or water. Add the filling in the bottom part of the wrapper in a thin log shape, not touching the edges. Leave the bottom few cm clear. Lift the wrapper over the top and tuck it in under the filling. Fold over the left side, and then the right side and roll it up to form a tube. Brush a little more egg along the top part and seal the roll. Repeat until all the rolls are finished.

Once the oil is hot, deep fry the spring rolls until lightly brown, which should take only a minute or two. Put them on the toweled tray to let them drain. Serve your crispy spring rolls as an appetizer. serve with a sweet and sour sauce or chili sauce.

Smashed Fried Chicken (Ayam Penyet)

1 whole Chicken, cut into 4 or 8 pieces (or as desired)
300 ml of coconut milk
200 ml of water
1 Salaam leafs (or you can substitute with Bay leaf)
2 stalk of fresh Lemongrass (Sereh/Serai), bruised
Lime juice from 1 fresh lime

Spice Paste:
4 cloves of garlic
2 Candlenuts
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp salt

Sambal:
5 red chillies
4 bird's eyes chillies (or reduce to your taste)
3 shallots
1 cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp palm sugar

Grind or blend the spice paste.

Boil the Chicken with the spice paste, coconut milk, Salaam leafs, Lemongrass and water. Cook until it's tender and spice is absorbed.

When the chicken already cooks, leave it cold for a moment.

Heat the oil in non-stick frying pan, fry the chicken until it's brown and crispy. Smash the fried chicken with meat smasher. Set aside and serve.

Prepare the Sambal by grinding roughly all the ingredients. Then sauté with small amount of oil until it's fragrant for couple of minutes. When it's ready sprinkle with lime juice and then serve.

Galangal Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng Lengkuas)

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or as desired)
1 stalk of Lemongrass (Sereh/Serai)
2 Salaam leaves (Indian Bay Leaves)
4 tablespoons shredded Galangal

Spice Paste (blend)
3 cloves of Garlic
5 Shallots
3 Candlenuts (Kemiri), or substitute with 6 Almonds, pan-broil
2 teaspoon fresh Turmeric
1 teaspoon Tamarind (asam jawa) juice
Salt and sugar to taste

Grind or blend the spice paste, use to marinate the chicken together with shredded galangal.

Then take deep fry pan and use to cook the marinated chicken and add some water, salam leaves and lemongrass until chicken is cooked and sauce is almost dry. Leave to cool.

Fry the chicken and the spices into deep fry pan with lot of oil until crisp and golden brown. When it's done, use the tissue to absorb the oil.

Set aside and serve with the crumb from the spices.

Spicy Shredded Chicken (Ayam Suwir Pedas)

250 g chicken fillet
1 stalk of white part of lemon grass
1 Salaam leaves(Indian Bay Leaves)
2 fresh Kaffir Lime leaves
1 tbs Tamarind (asam jawa) juice
100 ml chicken stock
Half fresh tomato, chopped

Spice Paste:

3 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
3 red chillies
3 bird's eyes chillies (optional)
1/2 tsp of pepper
Salt and sugar to taste

Bring to boil the chicken. When it cooked, take out from the stock then shred. Set aside.

Grind or blend the spice paste.

Heat the oil, then sauté the spice paste until fragrant. Then add salam leaves, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, fresh tomato,tamarind juice and the chicken.

Mix them well for few minutes, and then give the chicken stock.
Cook until the water absorbed. Add sugar or salt to adjust the taste.

Spicy Chicken Liver (Sambal Goreng Hati)

150 g chicken liver, cooked and chopped into small square
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small square
2 red/green chillies, thinly sliced
1 cm galangal (laos)
100 ml coconut milk
1 salam leaf

Spice paste :
3 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
2 candlenuts (substitute with 4 almonds)
1/2 fresh tomato
1 tsp brown sugar
1 cm of ginger
Salt to taste

Cooked the chicken liver for 10 minutes. Set aside and let it cold then cut into small square.
Heat the oil, and then fry the potatoes. Don't fry them too dry. Set aside

In remaining oil, sauté the spice paste, chillies, galangal and salam leaf until fragrant.

Then add the potatoes and the chicken liver. Stirring well and let the spices absorbed. Then add the coconut milk.

Cook until the sauce is thick. Don't stir too much because it would make the chicken liver falls apart.

Fried Stuffed Tofu (Tahu Isi)

6 medium tofu *cut into triangle and fried half done

Filling
150 gram of minced beef/chicken/prawn
2 carrots cut into small cubes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
pepper to taste
salt to taste or 1/2 beef seasoning cube

Flour Mixture
100 g of flour
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp coriander, pan-broil
3 candlenuts
2 cm kaempferia galanga (kencur)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
125 ml water

Heat the oil in deep wok and fry the tofu until brown in both sides. Set aside. When they are already cold, scoop out the middle part to make a hole for filling.

Make the filling: in remaining oil, stir fry the onion and garlic. Add the meat, stir well until brown. Then put carrots inside. Pour some water, just enough to make the carrots tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. When it is about to be done, mix corn flour with small water and pour it to the filling to make it thicker. Cook until about 10 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Take a spoon of it and stuff it into the hole of tofu one by one until all is done. Put it aside.

Make the flour mixture : In a small bowl mix all ingredients. Add a little water if necessary.

Dip the stuffed tofu into flour mixture before frying it (to get crunchy skin).

Deep fry stuffed tofu under medium heat until brownish.

Cooking Tips: Unevenly Grilled Meat

When you grill, pull your steaks [or other meat] out of the refrigerator one hour ahead of time so they can come to room temperature.

Classic Indonesian Chicken Soup (Soto Ayam)

1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned chicken breasts, rinsed
2 1/2 quarts fat-skimmed chicken broth

1/3 cup peeled garlic cloves
1 cup sliced shallots
1/4 cup salted, roasted macadamia nuts or blanched almonds
6 thin slices (the size of a quarter) fresh galangal or fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 stalk (12 to 15 in.) fresh lemon grass or 3 strips (1/2 by 4 in.)
lemon peel, yellow part only

4 to 6 ounces dried bean thread noodles (saifun)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
3 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, including tops
1 cup diced Roma tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 hard-cooked large eggs, shelled and cut into wedges
2 cups potato chips or shrimp chips (optional)
1/2 cup fried shallots
Lime wedges
Chili sambal, Asian red chili paste, or minced fresh hot chilies

In a food processor, combine garlic, sliced shallots, macadamia nuts, galangal, and turmeric. Whirl mixture to a paste, scraping container sides as needed. (Or chop ingredients with a knife, then whirl in a blender to a paste.)

In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, stir the paste and the oil until mixture barely begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in broth, cover, and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, trim stem end and any tough leaves off lemon grass and pull off coarse outer layer. Crush stalk with the back of a knife, then cut into 3-inch pieces. Add to broth.

Add chicken breasts to broth. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the breasts are no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 15 to 20 minutes.

Lift out chicken and let cool at least 10 minutes. Skim fat from broth.

In a bowl, pour 5 cups hot water over bean thread noodles. Let stand until the noodles are tender to bite, about 5 minutes; drain. Snip through noodles with scissors to make shorter strands.

Season broth with salt and pepper to taste. Return to a boil over high heat.

Tear the chicken into shreds. In individual small bowls, mound shredded chicken, bean thread noodles, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro, egg wedges, fried shallots, lime wedges, and chili sambal. Pour hot broth into a tureen or pitcher.

Gudeg Jogja (Unripe Jackfruit Sweet Stew)

500 g unripe jackfruit
350 g bony chicken or scrawl
500 g fat bone
6 eggs, boiled and peeled

400 ml squeezed coconut
400 ml water
200 g brown sugar, slice thinly

10 laurel likes
10 small chilies
Salt to taste

Grinded spice:
18 cloves of garlic
6 onions
5 grains kemiri (candlenut)

Clean and wash jackfruit, cut into smaller sized. Boil fat bone and bony chicken for a while in order to get softer meat.

Mix grinded spice, squeezed coconut, brown sugar, and salt. Stir until it is mixed.

Arrange jackfruit, fat bone, bony chicken, boiled egg, laurel like, and galan­gale in steamed pan.

Pour spicy squeezed coconut into pan. Add some water until they are soaked.
Put small chilies in the top. Take out and remove when soup is get­ting dry.

Fried Chicken with Crispy Flakes (Ayam Goreng Kremes)

6 pieces of whole chicken drumsticks
4 cloves of small red onion
6 cloves of garlic
4cm of ginger
3 lime leaves
3 Indonesian bay leaves
4cm of galangal
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp of ground white pepper
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of ground turmeric
salt to taste
cooking oil for frying
water

Crispy flakes:
200ml seasoned chicken broth
2 Tbsp of rice flour
1 egg
water

In a blender, blend onion, garlic and ginger until smooth. Place it in a pot and add water, chicken drumsticks and the rest of the ingredients.

Bring it to boil and stir the broth. Continue to cook until chicken tender.

Take out the chicken legs and drip off the broth and then deep dry it with oil under medium high heat until golden brown.

Crispy Flakes: Mix the rice flour with a little bit of water (just to make a solution). Mix it with 200ml of the seasoned broth which came from cooking the chicken drumsticks.

Add egg and mix it well. Deep fry it under high heat by placing one laddle full of the mixture into hot oil until golden brown. Do it again and again until you've got enough flakes.

Place the fried chicken drumsticks on a plate and sprinkle with some flakes on top or side.

If desired, add sambal terasi, cucumber and tomato.
Serve with warm steam rice.

Chicken in Coconut Milk (Opor Ayam)

1 whole chicken
4 cups of coconut milk
6 pieces of shallots
3 pieces of garlic
120 gram candle nut
10 gram coriander
5 gram cumin
3 pcs bay leaves
1 pcs lemongrass
100 gr galangal
salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken into pieces
Grind shallots, garlic, candle nut, coriander, and cumin
Boil chicken with 2 cups of coconut milk, put in lemongrass and galangal.

When chicken is about done, pour in the rest of the coconut milk along with the spice mix above.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook until the chicken is done
Serve warm.