Chicken Stew with Aromatic Coconut Gravy

(Opor Ayam)

This recipe is popular in Java island. It's similar to curry, but it has light taste yet still delicious and aromatic. Besides as daily dish, Opor Ayam usually serve as 'a must have' dish during Eid ul-Fitr, the biggest moslem holiday in Indonesia. It is served with ketupat  and other side dishes such as sambal goreng kentang. Otherwise this dish is also good to serve with steamed rice, yellow rice or lontong.

Category : Poultry

Difficulty : Easy

Preparing time : 45 minutes

Ingredients

- 1 whole chickem, cut into 8 pieces

- 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass

- 3 kaffir lime leaves

- 1 salam leaf

- 500 ml thick coconut milk

- 500 ml water/chicken broth

- 1 tablespoon tamarind juice (if you don't have it, you can substitute with lime/lemon juice)

- 2 teaspoons salt, add more if necessary

- 1 teaspoon sugar

Spice Paste :

- 7 shallots

- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

- 1 teaspoon coriander powder

- 4 candlenuts, roasted

- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

- 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder

- 1 tablespoon shredded fresh galangal

- 1/2 tablespoon shredded fresh ginger

Directions

1. Marinate chicken with 1 tablespoon of tamarind juice and 1 tablespoon salt. Leave it for 15 minutes.

2. Grind or blend the ingridients of spice paste.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil saute the spice paste together with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and salam leaf over a medium-high heat until fragrant. Then add the chicken and stir a bit with the spice and then pour the water. Add salt and sugar. Cook until it's boiling.

4. When the chicken is half-done, add the coconut milk. Continue cooking over a medium heat until it's cooked.

Note : You can add boiled egg or tofu as well to the recipe.