Kari ayam (chicken curry) is one of the signature dishes of Indonesian cuisine. In spite of the name “curry,” this dish does not use Indian curry spice, and is actually a spicy but sweet dish.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken parts
- 5 Asian shallots, sliced (or ½ cup chopped onions)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced or grated
- 1 tsp lemongrass, minced or grated
- 6 kimiri (candlenuts), ground
- 2 salam leaves (Indonesian bay leaves)
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- ½ tsp turmeric root, ground or grated
- ½ tsp galangal root, ground or grated
- 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- 2 tbsp gula jawa
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 hot chiles (optional)
- ¼ tsp terasi (fermented shrimp paste)
Procedure
- Wash chicken parts.
- In a food processor or mortar and pestle, grind the garlic, ginger, kimiri nuts, turmeric, galangal, hot chilies, and terasi into a paste (bumbu).
- In a wok or skillet, cook the paste over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken parts to the wok, and brown them.
- Add the shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and salam leaves to the wok, and sauté for another minute.
- Add the coconut milk and bring to a light boil.
- Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
Notes, tips, and variations
- Serve with white rice (nasi putih), yellow rice (nasi kuning), or coconut rice (nasi uduk).
- Top with fried shallots.
- Substitute fish, shrimp, or lamb for the chicken.