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Ayam pongteh
Chicken and potato braise
Ayam pongteh — Nyonya chicken and potatoes braised with fermented soybean paste
Melaka's Peranakan (Nyonya) kitchens cook ayam pongteh for family dinners and for the Chinese New Year reunion table: a dark, gentle braise of chicken and potatoes that has no chilli at all. Its savour comes from taucheo, salted fermented soybeans, fried with a lot of shallots and garlic, sweetened with palm sugar and coloured with dark soy. The gravy is thin, glossy and moreish, and the potatoes drink it up until they are soft enough to crush with a spoon. Spoon it over plain rice with sambal belacan on the side for anyone who wants heat. Chef's tip: pound the shallots rather than blending them to a purée; slightly coarse shallots melt into the gravy and give it body.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb chicken thighs and drumsticksbone-in, skin removed or on, cut into pieces
- 1 ⅛ lb waxy potatoespeeled and cut into large chunks
- 12 shallotspounded or pulsed coarsely
- 6 cloves garlicpounded
- 3 tbsp fermented soybean paste (taucheo)lightly mashed
- 1 ⅜ oz palm sugar (gula melaka)grated
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)soaked 20 min, halved; keep the water
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups wateruse the mushroom soaking water as part of it
- ½ tsp saltonly if needed
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Fry 12 shallots and 6 cloves garlic for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until soft and pale gold.
6 minStep 2: Add 3 tbsp fermented soybean paste (taucheo) and fry for 2 minutes until it smells nutty, then stir in 1 ⅜ oz palm sugar (gula melaka) and let it melt and bubble for a minute.
3 minStep 3: Add 2 ¼ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks and turn it in the paste for 4–5 minutes until the outside is no longer pink. Wash anything that touched the raw chicken.
5 minStep 4: Add 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 ⅛ lb waxy potatoes, the mushrooms if using and 2 cups water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring now and then.
30 minStep 5: Uncover and simmer 5 minutes more until the potatoes are soft at the edges and the gravy is glossy. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F (165 °F) near the bone and the juices run clear.
5 minStep 6: Taste before adding any ½ tsp salt: taucheo and soy are both salty, and a frequent mistake is seasoning early and ending with a gravy that is too salty to eat. Serve with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ayam pongteh take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
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