Chicken in Coconut Milk (Opor Ayam)

1 whole chicken
4 cups of coconut milk
6 pieces of shallots
3 pieces of garlic
120 gram candle nut
10 gram coriander
5 gram cumin
3 pcs bay leaves
1 pcs lemongrass
100 gr galangal
salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken into pieces
Grind shallots, garlic, candle nut, coriander, and cumin
Boil chicken with 2 cups of coconut milk, put in lemongrass and galangal.

When chicken is about done, pour in the rest of the coconut milk along with the spice mix above.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook until the chicken is done
Serve warm.

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Aceh Style Chicken (Ayam Bumbu Tradisional Aceh)

1 chicken (about 1.5 kilo)
625ml coconut milk (from 2 coconuts)
2 stalks lemon grass (bruised)

Blend the following ingredients to a paste (with 125ml coconut milk) :

2 cloves garlic
4 shallots
1 tbsp ground coriander
5-7 red chilies (seeded)
3cm ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
2 tbsp lime juice

Devide chicken into 8 pieces or 12 pieces (as desired), broil the chicken for 3 minutes on each side.

Marinate the chicken in the blended paste for 15 minutes. Put the chicken in a large kuali (wok). Cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes uncovered.

Then add the remaining coconut milk and lemon grass. Bring to boil and cook for another 30 minutes, basting occasionally, till chicken is tender and almost all the liquid has evaporated. Best serve warm.

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Chicken Rice with Pineapple (Nasi Kebuli Ayam dengan Nanas)

500g boneless chicken, diced into 1cm cubes
1/2 small pineapple, peeled and sliced and cut into small pieces and fried shallot to serve

2 tbsp butter or oil
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
2 cups long-grain rice, washed and drained

Seasoning :

13 French shallots, peeled and finely chopepd
7 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2.5cm piece of root ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
1/2 tsp cumin
a little nutmeg, freshly grated
8cm cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods, bruised
2 cloves
1 lemongrass stalk, bruised

Heat butter or oil in a wok or heavy saucepan. Add all seasoning ingredients and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken and continue sauteing for 3 minutes over high heat. Add chicken stock and salt and simmer until chicken is tender. Strain stock and put chicken pieces aside.

Place rice in a rice cooker or heavy stock pot, add 2.5 cups of the reserved chicken stock and bring to the boil. Cover pan and simmer until rice is almost cooked and liquid is absorbed. Add diced chicken and cook over low heat until rice is thoroughly cooked.

Serve on a platter garnished with fried shallots and pineapple pieces.

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Spicy Roasted Chicken Drumsticks (Paha Ayam Bakar Pedas)

10 chicken drumsticks (medium size)
250ml thick santan (coconut milk) and 500ml thin santan from 1.5 coconuts
2 daun limau purut (kaffir lime leaves)
2 stalks serai (lemongrass), bruised
4 tbsp oil
salt and sugar to taste
3 tbsp sweet soy sauce mixed with 3 tbsp oil

Ground spices :

15 dried chilies, soaked
10 red chilies
10 pips garlic
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
1.5 cm kunyit (saffron)
3/4 cm lengkuas (galangal)
5 buah keras (candlenuts)

Heat oil in the wok, and saute ground spices, serai and daun limau purut till fragrant.

Add chicken drumsticks and thin coconut milk, and cook till chicken is half done.

Then add thick coconut milk and cook till the gravy becomes thick and chicken is well done.

Remove and leave to cool. Glaze chicken drumsticks with sweet soy sauce and oil mixture. Grill till brown.

Remove and serve hot.

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Black Pepper Marinated Shrimp (Udang Goreng Lada Hitam)

500 g large pancet shrimp
1 clove garlic, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
cooking oil

Black Pepper Sauce :

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
30 g onion, chopped
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tsp black pepper, crushed a bit rough
200 ml water
1 tsp cornflour, dissolved in a little water

Use a scissors to cut the back of shrimps until slightly open.
Rub with grated garlic, salt and lime juice. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Fry in hot oil until slightly dry and a lot. Drain.

Black Pepper Sauce : Saute garlic and onions until tender.
Add other seasonings and water. Bring to a boil.
Pour the starch solution, stirring until thick.

Add the fried shrimp, simmer briefly. Lift and serve warm.

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Sweet and sour shrimps (Udang Asam Manis)

1/2 lb of medium sized shrimps
5 pieces of garlic
3 oz. flour
1 pcs of egg
2 spoons of tomato sauce
1 lime
1/2 spoon of sugar
salt and pepper

Clean shrimps, remove the heads but keep the tails.
Clean garlic, and slice thinly. Sprinkle over the shrimps.
Make a mix of the flour, egg, with enough water, salt, and pepper.

Heat oil on a pan.
One by one, put the shrimps into the pan by first dipping it in the mix above. Fry until golden.

Put on a plate, serve with sweet and sour sauce (just mix tomato sauce, lime and sugar.)

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Grilled Fish with Basil and Tomato Sambal (Ikan Bakar Colo-Colo)

1 whole fish, approximately 1 kg, cleaned
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
large piece of banana leaf
or aluminum foil to wrap fish

Colo-colo sambal :

3 tbsp lime or lemon juice
2 tomatoes, cut in half and sliced
4 sprigs basil, chopped
5 red chilies, seeded and sliced
4 French shallots, peeled and sliced
4 tbsp light soy sauce

Season fish with salt and lime juice, then brush with oil. Wrap fish in banana leaf and place parcel directly on charcoal or under a grill.

Cook until banana leaf is evenly browned and fish is done.

Prepare colo-colo sambal by combining all ingredients and mixing well. The sambal can be poured over the fish when serving or just put into an individual sauce bowl for each diner to add to the fish as liked.

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