Opor Ayam (Indonesian Coconut Milk Chicken)

Here’s another version of opor ayum that’s just as delicious as this version, but with a bit of a different flavor profile. It shows how different parts of Indonesia interpret the same dishes.

Javanese often make this mild curry for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr. And the lack of hot peppers in the foundational bumbu spice paste makes it more tolerable for those not used to hot curries.

Please note this dish is definitely better made with boneless chicken thighs.

What you’ll need for the chicken

• 1T neutral oil
• 6 lime leaves
• 6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin removed (trust me, boneless is better)
• 3 lemongrass sticks, trimmed, bruised and tied in a knot
• 3 cm (1.5 inches) piece of galangal, skin scrubbed, bruised (just skip if you can’t find in the store)
• 240 ml (1.5 cups) coconut milk
• 2t palm sugar
• fried shallots, for serving

What you’ll need for the Bumbu spice paste

• 1.5t ground coriander
• 1t ground cumin
• 0.5t ground white pepper
• 7 garlic cloves, peeled and very roughly chopped
• 7 small red Asian shallots, peeled and very roughly chopped
• 3 candlenuts or 6 blanched almonds, toasted (never eat candlenuts raw)
• 0.5t salt

What to do

Make the bumbu spice paste by putting all the ingredients in a food processor and grinding them to a paste. Add a bit of water if the ingredients stick to the sides of the processor.

Heat the oil in a large, high-sided frypan (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat and fry the bumbu paste and lime leaves for about 5 minutes, stirring often until very fragrant. Add the chicken, lemongrass and galangal and turn to coat them in the spice paste. Stir in 100ml (0.5 cups) water and bring the mixture to a low boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and palm sugar to the pan, then bring it up to a simmer; continue to braise uncovered for another 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Add salt, if needed, then leave it in the pan to cool for about 20 minutes.

Serve topped fried shallots over rice.