Opor Ayam: Indonesian Chicken Cooked In Spiced Coconut Milk
Opor Ayam is an Indonesian chicken dish cooked in coconut milk with spices and herbs. It tastes delicately rich with fragrant herbs.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 35 ounces chicken with bones (approximately 1 baby chicken.)
- 2 salam leaves/ Indonesian Bay leaves (see the note.)
- 1 lemongrass (cut into one-inch long pieces.)
- 13.53 fluid ounces coconut milk
- 17.6 fluid ounces water.
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil.
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground Coriander.
- 1 teaspoon ground Cumin.
- 1 medium-sized Onion (finely chopped.)
- 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped.)
- ½ inch ginger.
- ½ inch galangal.
- ½ inch fresh turmeric or ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (optional.)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt (or according to taste.)
Instructions
- 1
Using a food processor or a pestle and mortar, grind all the spice paste ingredients into a smooth mixture.
- 2
Heat the oil in a cooking pan or a wok and stir-fry the spice paste.
- 3
Add in Salam leaves and lemongrass. Continue cooking the spices until it releases a delicious aroma.
- 4
Then put the chicken pieces in. Fry a little until all pieces are coated with spices, and the poultry looks opaque.
- 5
Pour the coconut milk and the water into the chicken. Give it a good stir, then put the lid on. Cook it at low heat for about 30 - 45 minutes or until the chicken becomes tender and the oil slightly separates from the liquid.
- 6
Serve your opor ayam garnished with fried shallots, and enjoy it with plain white rice or lontong.