Indonesian Recipes (Bali, Java) - Chicken in Coconut and Curry Sauce (Opor Ayam) Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 chicken, 1-1.3 kg/2 1/4-2 3/4 lb

• 7 shallots

• 3 cloves garlic

• 4-5 kemiri nuts (or macadamia nuts)

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

• 1 stem lemon grass

• 1 piece galangal root, 2 cm/3/4 in long

• 1-2 tablespoons oil

• 2 belimbing wuluh (sour fruit), or carambola (star fruit) or rhubarb

• 2-3 salam leaves (or bay leaves)

• 750 ml/1 1/4 pints (3 1/2 cups) coconut milk

• salt

• white pepper

Serves 4-6

---

Method:

1. Peel the shallots and garlic and grind with the kemiri nuts. Add the ground coriander and cumin.

2. Cut the chicken into four pieces and fry in oil with the shallot, garlic and nut mixture. Be careful: it must not be allowed to go brown.

3. Crush the lemon grass and peeled galangal root. Peel the sour fruit and cut into small pieces. Next add the coconut milk, lemon grass, galangal, salam leaves and pieces of fruit.

4. Season with salt and white pepper and cook the chicken until tender.

5. It is best to use a clay pot and cook the chicken in the oven at a temperature of 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.

6. The coconut milk thickens into a creamy sauce. Finally, season with white pepper and salt.