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Opor ayam
Chicken in coconut milk
Opor ayam: Javanese chicken in mild, pale coconut milk with lemongrass and galangal
Ask anyone in Java what they eat on the first morning of Lebaran and the answer is opor ayam with ketupat: chicken simmered slowly in a creamy, ivory coconut sauce perfumed with coriander, lemongrass, galangal and salam leaf, rich but not at all fiery. Families cook a big pot the night before so the flavours deepen, then serve it with sambal goreng ati and crackers. For a vegetarian version, use fried tofu and hard-boiled eggs. Chef's tip: toast the candlenuts and coriander before grinding; raw, they make the sauce taste flat and slightly bitter.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the spice paste
- 8 shallots
- 5 cloves garlic
- 5 candlenutstoasted; or macadamia nuts
- 1 tbsp coriander seedstoasted
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- ¾ in fresh ginger
For the curry
- 2 ⅝ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone inskin removed
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ⅝ in galangalbruised
- 2 stalks lemongrassbruised
- 3 salam leaves (Indonesian bay leaves)or 2 bay leaves
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 3 ¼ cups coconut milk
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp fried shallots (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Blend 8 shallots, 5 cloves garlic, 5 candlenuts, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground white pepper and ¾ in fresh ginger with 3 tablespoons of water to a smooth paste.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat and fry the paste with 1 ⅝ in galangal, 2 stalks lemongrass, 3 salam leaves (Indonesian bay leaves) and 3 kaffir lime leaves, stirring, until it smells sweet and the oil starts to separate.
6 minStep 3: Add 2 ⅝ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in and turn it in the paste until the meat is no longer pink on the outside.
4 minStep 4: Pour in 1 ¾ cups water and half the 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally.
25 minStep 5: Add the remaining 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, 1 tbsp palm sugar and 2 tsp salt and simmer uncovered, stirring often so it doesn't split, until the sauce is creamy and the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F at the bone.
20 minStep 6: Taste for salt, remove the leaves and lemongrass if you like, and serve with ketupat or rice, scattered with 3 tbsp fried shallots. It tastes even better reheated the next day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 43 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does opor ayam take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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