Opor Ayam

Opor Ayam (Indonesian Coconut Chicken)

A gentle Javanese curry of chicken simmered in coconut milk with a pale, aromatic spice paste. Traditionally served at Lebaran alongside ketupat or lontong, but equally good with steamed white rice.

Prep

30 min

Cook

60 min

Total

90 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1 kg (2¼ lb) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, bone-in, skin-on; use free-range ayam kampung if available
• •400 ml (1⅔ cups) thin coconut milk, santan cair; from 1 coconut or carton
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) thick coconut milk, santan kental; do not boil hard once added
• •150 g (5½ oz) shallots, about 10-12, peeled
• •5 cloves garlic
• •3 pieces candlenut (kemiri), substitute macadamia nuts if unavailable; must be toasted or cooked through
• •1 tsp coriander seeds, or 1½ tsp ground coriander
• •white pepper, ½
• •2 cm (¾ inch) fresh turmeric, or ½ tsp ground turmeric; gives the pale golden colour
• •1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• •1 tsp sugar, palm sugar preferred, or white
• •3 stalks lemongrass, bruised, white part only
• •4 leaves Indonesian bay leaf (daun salam), substitute 2 Mediterranean bay leaves if unavailable
• •3 leaves kaffir lime leaf, optional, torn; or 1 strip lime zest
• •3 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
• •500 ml (2 cups) water, as needed to cover chicken

Steps

1. 1 Toast the coriander seeds and candlenuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and lightly spotted. This removes the raw edge of the candlenut - important, as raw candlenut is not pleasant to eat.
2. 2 Blend the shallots, garlic, toasted candlenuts, coriander seeds, fresh turmeric (or ground), white pepper, and 2 tbsp water to a smooth paste. A mortar and pestle gives a better texture but a blender is fine.
3. 3 Heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the spice paste, lemongrass, daun salam (or bay) and kaffir lime leaves. Fry, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until the paste darkens slightly and the oil begins to separate from it.
4. 4 Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat. Cook for 4-5 minutes, turning, until the outside of the chicken is no longer pink.
5. 5 Pour in the thin coconut milk and enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring to a gentle simmer - do not boil hard, or the coconut milk will split.
6. 6 Partially cover and simmer gently for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through. Doneness cue: the thickest part of the thigh should reach 75°C / 165°F on a thermometer, and the meat should pull cleanly from the bone with no pink juices.
7. 7 Season with salt and sugar. Taste - the sauce should be savoury, gently sweet, and only lightly spiced.
8. 8 Stir in the thick coconut milk and simmer uncovered for a final 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not let it come to a rolling boil after this point.
9. 9 Rest off the heat for 5 minutes. Serve the chicken with the pale sauce spooned over, alongside steamed white rice, ketupat or lontong.