Ayam Goreng Penyet (Indonesian Smashed Fried Chicken)

Please don't roll your eyes, the truth is not like what it sounds. You don't need to smash the chicken on the wall to prepare the dish :)

Ingredients:

• 6 large chicken legs or breas, deboned
  
• 2 stalks lemon grass, crushed
• 2 bay leaves (salam leaves)
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds (ketumbar)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin (jintan manis)
• 2 tbsp thick coconut milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Ingredients to grind:

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 red chilli, seeded
• 2 cm knob tumeric
• 120g lengkuas, peeled and sliced
• 4 slices ginger
• 3 candlenuts (bush keras)

How to:

1. Fry coriander seeds over slow fire till fragrant then grind coarsely.
2. Wash chicken and drain well. Prick chicken all over with a fork.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine ground spices with ground cumin, coriander, salt, sugar, coconut milk and crushed serai. Add chicken and mix thoroughly. Leave to marinade for 30 minutes.
4. Grease base of cooking pot with some cooking oil. Arrange chicken in pot, add crushed bay leaves. Cover pot and cook over moderate heat for 8 minutes. Turn chicken over, cover pot and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until almost dry. Remove chicken and drain off excess liquid.
5. Grill or roast chicken on high heat, 250 deg Celcius until golden brown on both sides.

Explore The Variety of Indonesian Flavors

References:
http://roseskitchen.wordpress.com/2007/07/06/ayam-penyet/

Image source:
http://www.hungrygowhere.com

Ayam Goreng Mbok Berek (Javanese Fried Chicken With Fragrant Chilli Sambal )

Finally the secret revealed...

Ayam Goreng Mbok Berek is Indonesian legendary Fried Chicken Franchise Restaurants. It's like the Indonesian version of Colonel Sanders (KFC). Mbok Berek started her business in Jogjakarta, one of the most exotic places in Indonesia. Her real name was "Nini Ronodikromo". Her friendly name as "Mbok Berek" began from one of her children that often cried loudly (tantrum). In Javanese language they called such cry as "Berek-Berek". So from time to time people around her began to call her "Mbok Berek". The name surely brought her fortune until today, because of its uniqueness and easiness to be pronounced.

Mbok Berek Fried Chicken is actually an evolved version of Ayam Goreng Kalasan (traditional jogjakarta fried chicken). The business campaign slogan of Mbok Berek is "Ayam Desa Masuk Kota" or in English "Countryside Chicken Entering Town".

Anyway let's go to kitchen now...

Ingredients:

• 8 eschalots chopped
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 4 candlenuts
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut water
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 piece fresh galangal bruised -- (5 cm)
• 3 salam leaves - optional
• 1 whole fresh chicken cut into 10 serving pieces
• with a cleaver or 1kg chicken pieces
• 2 cups oil for deep-frying

Fragrang Chilli Sambal (Sauce):

• 4 large red chillies chopped -- (4 to 6)
• 8 eschalots chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 piece fresh galangal -- (1 cm)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped palm sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 stems fresh lemon grass bottom 10cm only --
• cut in half
• bruised
• 2 salam leaves - optional
• 1/4 tamarind juice

Substitutes:

• 1 large red or brown onion instead of eschalots
• replace candlenuts with 4 raw unsalted macadamia nuts or 8 cashews
• replace coconut water with 1 cup water and 1 cup chicken stock if desired
• Use soft brown sugar instead of palm sugar

How to:

1. Make the sambal by processing the chillies, eschalots, garlic, galangal, sugar, shrimp paste, and salt in a spice grinder.
2. Heat oil in a wok or saucepan and fry ground mixture nutmeg, lemon grass and salam leaves 4 minutes.
3. Add the tamarind juice, simmer 30-60 seconds.
4. Remove lemon grass and salam leaves.
5. Transfer sambal to four small sauce dishes and leave to cool.
6. Prepare chicken by processing eschalots, garlic, candlenuts, and salt to a smooth paste, in a food processor, or spice grinder.
7. Add a little of the coconut water if needed to keep the blades turning.
8. Heat a wok for 30 seconds then add the ground mixture, coconut water, coriander, galangal, salam leaves, and chicken pieces.
9. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until chicken is just tender 15-20 minutes.
10. Drain chicken and dry thoroughly with paper towel. Heat a wok for 30 seconds, then add the oil.
11. When very hot, deep fry the chicken, turning frequently until golden brown, 2 minutes.
12. Drain and serve with the Fragrant Chilli Sambal.

This recipe originated from Central Java about 30 years ago. Now Mbok Berek Restaurant Chain is being franchised under "PT. Weling Simbah Wulung".

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Recipe source:
http://www.food-lists.com/lists/archives/meat-lovers/2004/06/1087205374.php

Images sources:
http://resepbunda.files.wordpress.com
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/kotakgambar/new-label/mbokberek1A.jpg

Empal Suwir (Fried Shredded Beef)

Ingredients:

1 kg Gerello/Top side

3 tsp Salt

3 tsp Pepper

3 tsp Coriander powder

3 cloves Garlic

2 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Turmeric powder or 3 cm Turmeric

Water

Garnish:
2 tbsp fried onions


Directions:

1. Flatten the garlic and crush the turmeric if you use stick turmeric.


2. Heat in a pan the water an cook the meat slowly together with the salt, the pepper, the coriander, the garlic and the turmeric until done.


3. Shred the meat using a fork.


4. Heat in a wok the oil and fry the meat dry and crispy.


5. Sprinkle the friend onions on top.

Find out more Amazing Indonesian Recipes and Stories behind them:

The Indonesian Kitchen : Recipes & Stories...

Image source:
http://makansiang.blogspot.com/2008/02/daging-suwir.html

Recipe is adapted from:
http://asiancook.eu/indonesian/daging/540-empal-suwir-fried-shredded-beef
http://users.tpg.com.au/stanolin/recipes/empalsuwir.html

Ayam Bakar Sambal Pelecing (Grilled Chicken with Pelecing Chili Sauce)

This Spicy Chicken Dish Recipe is adapted from "The Bali Cookbook: Over 100 Delicious Recipes from Bali's Most Famous Chef"








Ingredients

• 1 chicken, about 2 3/4pounds
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt
• 3/4 cup sambal pelecing (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Cut the chicken in half lengthways and rub both halves with 2 tablespoons oil and some salt.
2. Grill the chicken 3/4 cooked.
3. Fry the chicken until fully cooked.
4. Place the chicken on a dish.
   
5. Heat the remainder of the oil in a wok and fry the sambal pelecing for about 3 minutes.
6. Mix the cooked chicken with the sambal.
   
7. Serve with rice.
   

Sambal Pelecing (Pelecing Chili Sauce)


Ingredients

• 2 medium shallots, peeled
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• About 3/4cup long red chiles, destemmed
• About 30 thai chiles, de-stemmed
• 1 beefsteak tomato
• 1 teaspoon roasted dried shrimp paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Juice of 2 kaffir limes

Directions

1. Blanch the shallots, garlic and chiles for 1 minute in boiling, salted water.
2. Drain.
3. Chop them with the tomato into small pieces and transfer everything to a mortar.
4. Add the shrimp paste, salt and sugar, and pound to a fine paste.
5. Heat the oil in a wok, and fry the sambal.
6. Just before serving, sprinkle the lime juice over the sambal.

The recipe is adapted from "The Bali Cookbook," by Lonny Gerungan

Image source:
http://www.geocities.com/claudie_lum/Ayam/pelecing_ayam.htm

Ayam Goreng Yogyakarta / Yogya / Jogja ( Yogyakarta Style Fried Chicken)og

Yogyakarta often called Jogja is one of main Indonesia Tourism Destinations. Yogyakarta has rich cultural and historical heritage. Yogyakarta once was The Capital of Mataram Kingdom.

One of the great historical and cultural heritage that remains and well preserved until now is "The Temple of Borobudur" established in the ninth century by the dinasty of Syailendra. Jogja is also famous of its beautiful tropical scenes and covered by a large areas of rice fields. So, if you plan to go on a vacation next summer, try Jogja...

If you're interested to find out more about Indonesia, I suggest you to read this amazing Travel Guide to Indonesia, "Indonesia (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)"

Now, let's prepare a dish from Jogja, "Ayam Goreng Yogyakarta"

Ingredients:

• 1 large fresh chicken cut in 8 pieces
• 2 cups water
• oil for deep-frying

Spices:

• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 3 tablespoons of crushed garlic
• 2 tablespoons of dried turmeric
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons of ginger
• 2 tablespoon oil
• Oil for deep frying.

How to:

1. Grind the coriander, garlic, turmeric, ginger and sugar together to make a fine paste.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan or wok.
3. Once hot add the spice mix and the bay leaves and cook for 3 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add the chicken pieces and coat well once the skin is brown add the water and simmer uncovered until chicken is almost cooked.
5. The water should have evaporated by now and the chicken should have a brown spicy skin.
6. Allow the chicken to dry a little then heat oil for deep frying.
7. Add the chicken to the hot oil and cook for a few moments until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.
8. Serve with sliced cucumber and thin carrot strips as a garnish.

Recipe and image source:
http://www.wokme.com/recipes/indonesian/ayam_goreng_yogya.htm

Ikan Pepes Bumbu Merah (Spicy Fish Baked In Banana Leaves)

Pepes is an Indonesian Traditional Steamed Cooking Style that's very popular around West Java (Jawa Barat). Pepes dish locks the original aroma and taste. It also help the spices to be better absorbed.

Carp fish is often used to prepare the dish, but I personally prefer Patin Fish (Silver Catfish) it's more greasy and tasteful.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg whole fish (carp or snapper)
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 stalk green onion
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 5 salam leaves
• 50 g kemangi leaves (sweet basil)
• salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbl. salad oil
• banana leaves or aluminum foil to wrap

Spice paste, grind the following ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 shallot
• 2 cm ginger
• 2 cm turmeric
• 50 g fresh chili pepper
• 5 candlenut
• 5 g tamarind
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 25 cc water

Directions:

1. Scale and clean the fish.
2. Take out the intestines but not the egg.
3. Make three diagonal slashes on each side of the fish for spice paste flavor to immerse.
4. Marinade the fish with salt and tamarind for 15 minutes then wash the fish with a bowl of water to remove excess salt.
5. Add cooking oil to the spice-paste, mix.
6. Coat fish with spice paste.
7. Put kemangi leaves, salam leaves and sliced lemon grass for the flavor.
8. Wrap the fish in banana leaves or aluminum foil.
9. Steam with medium fire, 30 minutes. Use pressure cooker for faster cooking time and better taste.
10. Let it cool and grill the wrapped fish over charcoal fire.

Explore The Excitement of Southeast Asian Taste through a Very Comprehensive and Reliable Source :
"Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass: Southeast Asia's Best Recipes from Bangkok to Bali"


Recipe source:
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Pepes_Ikan

Image sources:
http://www.desertmodernism.com

Gulai Paku (Fern Tips in Coconut Milk)

Ingredients:

• Large bunch edible ferns ( or 300 g/10 oz English spinach or amaranth)
• 50 g ( 1 ½ oz) salted or smoked fish thinly sliced (or dried prawns)
• 750 ml ( 3 cups) coconut milk
• 1 stem lemongrass bottom
• 14 cm ( 5 ½ in) only bruised
• 1 turmeric leaf
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 slices asam gelugor ( dried garcina fruit)
• 125 ml ( ½ cup) thick coconut milk salt to taste.

Preparations:

1. Pinch off and reserve the soft fern tips remove leaves from the tough stems discarding stems wash the tips and leaves thoroughly then drain there should be about 300 g (10oz) set aside.
2. Put fish coconut milk lemongrass turmeric and lime leaves and asam slices in a large saucepan and slowly uncovered until slightly thickened 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the ferns and simmer uncovered stirring frequently until tender 3 to 4 minutes add thick coconut milk and bring to the boil stirring constantly simmer 2 minutes taste and add salt in desired.

Serves 4
Preparation time : 15 mins
Cooking time : 25 mins

Recipe and Image Source:
http://www.indolists.com/recipe/Article/Fern-Tips-In-Coconut-Milk--Gulai-Paku-/1525